Fate is a Funny Thing
by Tangled4ever
Summary: Faybelle was hextremely proud of herself. She'd found Raven's hideout, she'd planted the poison apple, and she was one step closer to pleasing the Evil Queen. All that was left was for Apple to take the dreaded bait. But even the most perfect plans can go astray, and all it takes is just one bite - from the daughter of the one she's trying to impress.
1. A Plan Gone Wrong

**Hey Royals and Rebels! Roybel Tangled4ever here. :) I'm finally writing a fanfic for EAH. I've shipped Dexven forever after, but could never come up with a good storyline. Until now. ;)**

 **This fic is based on 'Dragon Games', which was released earlier this year. Yes, I am aware 'Epic Winter' comes out tomorrow (sooo hex-cited for it!); I actually started working on this months ago. As my loyal readers would know, my mum suffers from Parkinson's disease, and over recent months I've had to assume the role of her full-time carer during the day while Dad's at work, which by the evening often leaves me too drained to write. I haven't seen anyone else write this idea, but if they have, please accept this as my own work and not a rewrite of someone else's.**

 **Ok, so I watched Dragon Games as soon as it was up on Netflix, and I thought it was spell-tacular from start to finish. (: The animation was beautiful, the plot was in-character but still not overly predictable, and the whole thing was great fun to watch. One thing I really loved was the massive attention to detail. For example if you watch the movie with subtitles, any time the "booking glass" speaks, the voice is listed as 'Mirrie', as a play-on-words of Siri. Although my absolute favourite has to be when Raven leaves Apple's funeral to confront her mother. If you watch closely as she runs past, you can see Dexter reach out to her in a supportive, comforting sort of way. Talk about a sweetheart. :)**

 **Anyway, after watching the movie about 5 times, I couldn't help but notice the gamble Faybelle took when planting the Evil Queen's poison apple. After all, she couldn't guarantee Apple would take it, and like I thought to myself, '** _ **What if Raven was the one who ate the apple?**_ **' Then it hit me; what if Raven** _ **WAS**_ **the one who ate the apple?! That being said, onto the story! :D**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 1 ~ A Plan Gone Wrong**

If ever there was a time for Madame Thorn – _**the**_ Dark Fairy and notorious fairy royal – to be proud of her young protégé, this had to be it; at least in her daughter's opinion. Faybelle for one could not be more proud of herself. Being one of those students happy to follow their destiny, she was always up for crashing a party or causing some mayhem, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she'd be doing the bidding of Raven's infamously wicked mother – _**the**_ _Evil Queen!_ Her own mother was evil sure, but the Evil Queen had always been an idol of hers. And now, she had the chance to prove herself to the greatest villain in fairy tale history.

Her task: kick off Apple White's destiny as the next Snow White. And as luck would have it, those _stupid_ pixies had done the hard part for her. One of them was carrying a large basket of assorted fruits to their guests, who were sitting by the fire in their poorly-lit campsite. Now, if she could just get close enough…

* * *

Had it not been for the looming knowledge of the Evil Queen's hostile takeover, the hideout would be the picture of tranquillity. Tiny pixies fluttered around the secret garden, as the flames of the campfire danced in their own rhythmic patterns. But the girls' minds were elsewhere – aside from Maddie, who was snoring lightly on Ashlynn's shoulder – mainly on the friends and family still imprisoned within the school walls.

Basket of fresh fruit in hand, Featherly walked up to Ashlynn, chattering some words of wisdom.

"Why thank you, Featherly." Reaching into the basket, she picked out some food for herself and Maddie, who stirred at the sudden movement. "The pixies say, if we plan to face the Evil Queen, we need to nourish ourselves."

Apple began to explain how things were back at school, and Faybelle saw her window of opportunity. With a few soft wingbeats, she slipped soundlessly from her branch, carefully crawling into a thick bush. The poisoned fruit grasped in her hand, she waited for the foolish pixie to walk past, then slipped the apple into the basket right under their noses. Now she just had to sit back and wait.

Though now that she thought about it, she really didn't _need_ to stick around. The trap had been set, the plan was in motion; all that was left was for dear, sweet Apple to take the dreaded bait. She might as well go meet up with the dark dragons. So, silently slinking back into the shadows, she darted off into the night, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. But what Faybelle didn't know was that her perfectly orchestrated plan was about to unravel at the seams, and turn the world of Ever After on its head…

"Then we need our strength."

Sitting up straighter, Raven reached into the basket at random, her hand colliding with Apple's as they both went to take the same item.

"Oh, sorry Apple," she apologised, politely pulling her hand back.

"It's ok, you take it," Apple replied, pulling back her own hand to rub her arm. "I don't really feel like apples right now…"

Raven simply smiled, taking the apple and handing her roommate a small cluster of grapes. For that one moment, all was calm, then fate struck its cruel, heartbreaking blow, and the apple was bitten. No one saw the sickening black juice ooze from the fruit's centre, but as menacing, evil magic coursed throughout her body like a wave of icy fire, Raven became instantly, and _painfully_ , aware of the dark fate that had befallen her.

Violet eyes wide with unspoken terror as the apple shrivelled and blackened in her hand, she shakily rose to her feet, staggering away from the warm, welcoming campfire as violent coughs raked through her chest.

Swallowing the grape she was eating, Apple looked up in concern, "Raven?"

"Are you ok?" Holly asked as she and the others turned to watch their friend, worry deep in their faces.

Raven stopped in her tracks, clearly unsteady as her body swayed in her stance, then turned to look straight at Apple. Her bright purple eyes, which usually shone like radiant amethysts, were frightened and unfocused, but most alarmingly, knowing. Without warning, her eyes rolled back, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the cold, forest floor.

" _Raven!_ " Hastily tossing her grapes aside, Apple raced to where her roomie had fallen, closely followed by the others. Immediately spotting the dark, diseased apple still grasped in her friend's hand, she quickly scooped it up, gasping in horror as it dissolved to nothing but magenta dust, " _Where did that come from?!_ "

"What kind of apple turns black?"

"Is she ok?" Maddie asked urgently, her teal-blue eyes filled with tears as Ashlynn knelt down next to Raven.

As Ashlynn carefully lifted their friend's head off the ground, she came to for a brief moment, uttering something with her final breath.

"Can you understand what's she's saying?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, yet it echoed hauntingly in the air around them; a rasped sound, inaudible to the distant ear. No sooner had the words left her lips, Raven's eyes closed once more; this time, for what could be forever…

Tears welling in her own eyes, Ashlynn gently lay her back down, sorrowfully turning to Apple, "She says, 'she hopes you can forgive her, Apple'…"

Those words were all it took to make Apple's tears overflow, rolling down her cheeks like drops of rain. ' _She forgive her?_ ' More like 'could _she_ forgive _**her**_ _?_ ' When the Evil Queen first walked free from her mirror prison, all she'd thought about was her getting her own 'happily ever after'. But thanks to her, all Ever After was at the cruel mercy of the Evil Queen. To think she'd once labelled Raven as selfish for wanting a 'happily ever after', only to risk this much to get her own…

Vision blurred from the tears, she barely noticed Darling as she knelt down beside them. "We better check if she's breathing…"

Ashlynn moved back so Darling could check Raven's heartbeat, before turning back to the others. Holly and Poppy stood a hair's breadth from each other, watching on with wide eyes. Poor Maddie – Raven's best friend and the one who stood by her when no one else would – had tears streaming down her face, her intricate eye make-up starting to smear into a coloured mess on her cheeks. Gently wiping away the girl's ruined make-up, Ashlynn asked the question no one else dared to. "Is she…?"

Eventually, Darling sat up again, but her face was solemn, "She's breathing, but it's faint…"

Poppy shared a worried look with her twin sister, "But, if it was meant for Apple, shouldn't it just be a simple sleeping curse?"

"That apple was made from the same magic she was born with," Darling explained, getting to her feet. "Maybe it works differently on her…"

An all-too familiar roar stole their attention, and they gasped in fear seeing three dark dragons circling above, one of them carrying the Evil Queen's newest minion on its back.

"Get Raven- _**what?!**_ "

Faybelle's smug grin vanished the moment she caught sight of the scene below her. Instead of Apple, she was met with _Raven's_ unconscious form, pale and unmoving in the moonlight. This in turn made her an easy target for the other two dragons, who wasted no time in diving towards their victim.

The girls screamed in terror, each darting out of the way. Apple leapt in front of Raven, shielding her from the oncoming dragons, "We need to save Raven!"

"But how?" Holly shouted over the noise as the dragons flew back up for a second attempt. "Raven's the only one with magic that could stop them!"

Dashing over to Ashlynn with Harelow and Deerla in tow, Featherly tugged at her flowing skirt, chattering urgently.

Ashlynn nodded in understanding, turning to the others, "Everyone! Form a ring around Raven!"

Jumping to their feet, the six girls raced to Raven's side, joining hands to form a human circle around their friend as she lay still on the forest floor. The three woodland pixies began to chatter in unison, uttering a spell to repel the evil dragons as they made another dive towards Raven.

' _Dark dragons that attack by night, love casts you back till morning light!_ '

A burst of light purple magic surrounded Apple and the girls, quickly expanding to form a protective dome around the campsite, pushing back the dragons as it grew. One tried to burn a hole in the magical force field, but the hot pink flames simply bounced off the surface and hit the other, who whimpered in pain before retreating with the first.

"No! _Heel!_ " Faybelle exclaimed in anger. "What are you, dragons or _chickens?!_ "

Clearly displeased by the remark, the sole remaining dragon threw her off its back, taking off in the same direction as the others.

Quickly steading herself in mid-air, Faybelle cast one final glare at the glowing purple dome that now surrounded Raven's hideout, before starting her long flight back to Ever After High. But as she slowly neared the floating fortress of evil, fear began to churn in her stomach. The Evil Queen would not take kindly to the news that the apple she'd created for the daughter of her arch-nemesis had poisoned her own daughter by mistake, and with someone as ' _evil_ ' as the greatest villain in fairy tale history, ' _not take kindly_ ' was a foolishly optimistic substitute for ' _guaranteed curse for life_ '. There was no doubt in the mind of the Dark Fairy's daughter that she was in for serious trouble; the only uncertainty was just how far the vengeful queen would go…

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Finally posting something! I'M BACK! :D Sorry, it's been forever for me, and I'm so excited for this fic. :)**

 **Anyway, HUGE thank you to my dad, Trekrider, for making this FABLEOUS COVER PHOTO! :D I want to also thank him for doing my final spellcheck for me. Usually Mum would do it, but neither of my parents know the EAH franchise and with Mum's condition it would take too long to explain it to her.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. See you over the page! (:**


	2. When Destiny Fails

**Oh my fairy godmother! Wasn't 'Epic Winter' hex-cellent?! :D I always had my suspicions about Daring, but even I'm amazed by how well Mattel was able to pull this off. Don't get me wrong, Dexven is still my favourite pairing, but I was definitely fangirling for Darabella. ;)**

 **Anyhow, the response for this fanfic has been incredible. Over 265 views, 18 follows, 13 faves and 9 reviews, all in the first week! Pretty good considering how much smaller this fandom is compared to some of the others I've written in before… Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter. After being offline for so long, it really means a lot to me. (: Time for review replies, then on to Chapter 2!**

 **Trekrider: Thanks Dad. *hugs* :)  
** **kathryn .anne .568: I'm hoping to get Chapter 3 out for my birthday, so hopefully it won't be too long before the next update. (;  
** **Nataliaporras: Thank you. (:  
** **Tsukiyomi Sora: I don't understand Spanish, but thank you so much for taking the time to read my fanfic. :)  
** **coronadomontes: Thanks – Gracias :)  
** **Guest: Glad you're enjoying it so far. I'm usually quite busy with my mum's condition, but I'll definitely try to have a look once I've posted this chapter. ;)  
** **Jerry Unipeg: Yep, that's probably gonna be one of the hardest parts – thinking of a reasonable explanation as to how Faybelle's still, well- fairy, and not a slug or something. But I like a challenge. (; Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
** **Mistyfang Shadowclan Cat: Thank you. I'm loving this so far. :)  
** **Aye Aye Aye: I'll do my best to get the next chapters up a soon as possible. ;)  
** **Average Everyday Sane Psycho: Thank you. :)  
** **MrAndersIversen: Like always, thank you for your support. But seriously, you should really watch it. The last two movies were soooo good! ;)  
** **Forever Daydream: I know right! Forget Apple and Daring, Dexter and Raven are** _ **THE perfect couple**_ **. As Blondie would say, they're 'just right'. (; I have got a couple more Dexven ideas in the works, so if this one does well, I'll definitely be posting more. :D On to the chapter!**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 2 ~ When Destiny Fails**

As Faybelle and the dark dragons vanished from sight, the glowing purple hemisphere began to subside, revealing once more a brilliant night sky, spotted with clouds and dusted with diamond stars. But no one's eyes were focused on the beauty of the Heaven's above, and with the immediate danger passed, the stillness left room for another emotion – grief…

One by one, they let go of each other's hands, turning round to look at their fallen friend. Each of them loved Raven in their own way, so it wasn't surprising that some of them were taking it harder than others. Ashlynn, Holly and Poppy probably took it the easiest, but that in no way meant they took it well. They knew Raven wouldn't want them to suffer, but hard as they tried, a small cluster of their tears refused to be suppressed.

As a Charming princess, Darling took it upon herself to be the body of strength for the others, but on the inside, she was just as devastated. In some ways, she had it the hardest, forced to carry not only the weight of her own grief at losing one of her best friends forever after, but her growing concern for how her beloved twin brother would take the news. She could already picture Dexter's grief-stricken form; down on his knees, sobbing his shattered heart out by Raven's side. In an ideal fairy tale, he would kiss her, she'd wake up, and everything would be fine. But what would happen if his kiss failed? Could she _ever_ cope seeing her older twin brother in _that_ much pain? The thought alone slashed at her heart like the sharpest sword.

As for Maddie and Apple, neither made any attempt to restrain their heartache. Both were on their knees, sobbing into their hands as their bodies shook. It was ironic in the cruellest sense of the word. Raven had fought so hard to break from her destiny, and pave the way to her own 'happily ever after'. Things were finally going her way, only for it all to be savagely ripped away by the very apple that haunted her dreams. In her fight to not poison Apple, she'd instead been poisoned herself…

Her voice small and heavy with hopelessness, Apple mumbled in regret, "It should have been me…"

"Apple-"

"No, it should've!" she insisted, cutting Darling off. Fresh tears streamed down her face as she rose to her feet, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "At least if it was _me_ , you'd know exactly who I'd need to set me free… _Daring_ …"

The moment her prince's name left her lips, a bright green light burst Darling's handbag. Startled by the blinding light, she hastily tugged the small pink bag from her shoulder, turning her back to Raven as she tossed it away. As the bag hit the forest floor, the delicately crafted hand-mirror they'd mistaken for being Daring's toppled out, the glass glowing with green magic as the automated voice began to speak.

"Free Daring."

At that command, the green light disappeared, leaving Daring Charming himself in its place, the booking glass laying at his feet. Given by the state of him, he'd obviously been in there a while. His gold crown sat askew on his head of tousled hair, his face and letter jacket patched with dirt and dark circles under his eyes.

The girls simply watched on in shock, none more so than Darling and Apple, who exclaimed respectively:

"Daring?"

"The booking glass?"

Seemingly oblivious to their surprised looks and tear-stained faces, he tried to hide his face behind his arms, ashamed of his unkempt appearance. "Don't look at me. I'm _hideous_ … I was _trapped_ in there without a _hairbrush_!"

Any other day, such a remark from the usually cool and collected Charming would have received a mixture of amused smirks and indifferent eye-rolls. But in that moment, Daring's dishevelled appearance seemed so insignificant in comparison to recent events. Poppy could easily fix his matted blonde locks with a hairbrush and a little gel, but saving Raven from her dark fate would be much, much harder…

Apple was the one to finally break the silence, rubbing her arm as she tried to find the right words, "With the greatest of respect Daring, we've got more important things to worry about than your hair…"

Daring responded with a horrified gasp, as if deeply offended by the comment, " _ **What**_ _in the_ _ **kingdom**_ _could be more important than me looking princely?!_ "

Apple looked away, unable to answer the question as her tears threatened to spill over yet again.

Confused, Daring followed her gaze, and all thoughts of his own appearance disappeared. His clear blue eyes widened at the sight on Raven's unconscious form, his look one of genuine concern, "What happened?"

"The Evil Queen…" she started as they returned to Raven's side. "She tried to poison me with the apple from my story, but Raven… _Raven_ …"

Apple couldn't finished, breaking down for what felt like the hundredth time. Daring pulled her into a gentle hug, for once not caring that her tears were ruining one of his favourite sweater vests. It was almost unimaginable – smart, strong, good-hearted Raven Queen, leader of the Rebels and heroine of Wonderland, condemned to sleep her life away as the world moved on without her.

Darling rested a hand on Apple's shoulder, refusing to let her own tears flow, "We can't give up hope. All curses can be broken."

Ashlynn sighed sadly, voicing the thought no one wanted to hear, "But the only known cure for a sleeping curse is a kiss from 'Prince Charming'…"

"And the 'Evil Queen' doesn't have one…" Poppy added in regret.

As much as they wanted to, no one could dispute that fact. An 'Evil Queen's destiny was one of scorn and isolation, leading to indefinite prison in the Mirror Realm, not one of handsome princes and happy endings. Apple felt another pang of guilt churn in her stomach. How could she not have realised that's what she'd been trying to force on one of her dearest friends?

But as they stood around Raven with their faces solemn, the gears in Holly's head began to turn, her mind grasping at the barest hints of an idea as it tried to weave them together. She was pretty much grasping at split hairs, but maybe… _Just maybe_ …

"No, but 'Snow White' does…"

Maddie sniffed as she looked at Holly, her voice thick with tears, "Huh?"

"Something Apple said before, about how it's Daring's destiny to wake a sleeping damsel…" Rapunzel's daughter explained. "I know it's a longshot, but since Raven's the one who ate the poison apple…"

"Then that would make her the next 'Snow White'!" Her face immediately lighting up, Apple grabbed the front of Daring's jacket desperately, "Daring, you _have_ to kiss her!"

Stepping away from her, the blonde prince gently pushed her back, "Apple, I don't think ' _destiny_ ' works like that. Besides, I can't _kiss_ my _brother's_ girlfriend. That'd be wrong!"

Darling sighed, taking a step towards her older brother, "I hate to say it, but Apple might be right… If this counts as Raven becoming the next 'Snow White', you're the best chance we have…"

Daring shifted uncomfortably on the spot. He wasn't so convinced on this plan. Even if this did count as Raven being the next 'Snow White', he'd been told since birth he was destined to be _Apple's_ prince. And the fact she was dating his little bro certainly didn't help matters.

"Sis, I don't like this… What about Dexter?"

"Daring, the Evil Queen's taken over Ever After High, and turned it into her own personal stronghold. Aside from the eight of us, everyone else is being held prisoner. To even _get_ to Dexter, we'd have to defeat Raven's mother _and_ take back the _entire_ school."

"We could try…"

"Raven's not used to having so much dark magic inside her. She might not have that kind of time to wait…" Darling placed a hand on his cheek, eyes wide with urgent despair. "If there's _any_ chance your kiss could wake her, we _have_ to try…"

Gently taking her hand off his cheek, Daring held it between his own. He still didn't think it would work, but it hurt to see his little sister so worried. Realistically, it couldn't hurt to try. It's not like it could make things any worse. But there was one last concern he needed to clear up first…

Heaving a sigh, he turned to his princess, "Apple…"

Apple instantly knew what he was asking, and shook her head in response. "Do it. I don't care, so long as it wakes Raven…"

Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, Daring wiped the dirt from his face, before kneeling beside Raven as she lay in her death-like sleep. All eyes were focused solely on him, watching on anxiously, but he knew what he had to do.

Swallowing his nerves, he carefully scooped her into his arms, cradling her neck in his hand, and softly kissed her lips. His first thought was how alarmingly cold she was. Had it not been for the faint pulse that throbbed lightly against his hand, he would have questioned if she was alive at all. He lingered on her lips a moment longer, waiting for some kind of sign – a sudden surge of magic, a blinding light, even a harsh shove in disgust at seeing him kissing her – but when he pulled back, she remained limp and cold in his arms.

No one said a word in that moment. Deep down, none of them really expected the kiss to work, but it was the only chance they had at saving Raven. And now, it was gone…

"What does this mean?"

Apple was sure she'd cried herself out, but still more tears managed to form, "It means… Raven's enchanted sleep, really _is_ forever after…"

A painful silence filled the air around them. That was it; there was nothing more they could do. The Evil Queen had taken over, their school was in ruins, and worst of all, they'd forever lost Raven to the forces of evil…

Slowly walking over, Featherly chattered softly, causing Ashlynn to brush away her tears, "Featherly says she knows somewhere we can… you know…"

Thankfully Poppy spared her the chore of finishing the sentence. "Lay her to rest…"

Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, Apple picked up the abandoned booking glass, before turning to Featherly. "Lead the way…"

Nodding in unison, the three woodland pixies scampered off into the darkness. Apple and the others followed along behind, until only the two Charming siblings remained at Raven's side.

"I'll stay here with Raven," Daring offered, kneeling down beside her.

Despite the sadness still present in her eyes, the corner of Darling's mouth lifted just enough to give him a grateful smile, "Thank you…"

Placing a tender kiss on her brother's forehead, she hurried off after the others, leaving him alone with his own secret grief. Daring couldn't say he'd always supported his little brother's royally rebellious crush, but he wasn't blind to it either. He'd seen the way he looked at Raven many times, and it was clear she was more to him than just a passing infatuation.

Daring looked down at Raven's sleeping form, something tugging in his chest as he gently swept a stray lock of hair from her pale face. She'd always been so warm and full of life; the polar-opposite of how she was in that moment. When she'd first refused to sign the Storybook of Legends, he, like most of the other royals, saw her only as someone selfishly trying to rewrite their story, with little to no regard for those she'd put at risk. But over time, they'd all come to see her as the selfless hero she truly was. Hex, she'd risked becoming her greatest fear – a mirror-image of her mother – to save the fairytale worlds from Courtly Jester, and in turn was able to break the Wonderland curse. Even _he'd_ slowly warmed up to her, coming to accept her not only as a friend, but maybe even a future sister. After all, he wouldn't let just anyone with dark magic try to whiten his teeth.

His thoughts were broken as her body tensed, her pain evident from the faint, thin creases on her forehead. As carefully as possible, Daring brought her close to his chest, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. As she lay in his arms, her body seemed to relax once more, but he could tell she was anything but comfortable.

"Oh Raven…" he sighed, gently rubbing her arm in a futile attempt to ease her suffering. "What'll we do without you?"

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Wow, that was hard to write, but I love how it turned out. I think I almost cried a few times writing this, and I haven't even brought Dexter into it yet. I recommend we all bring tissues next time…**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts. (: My 19th birthday's coming up on September 19, so I'm going to try to have the next chapter up by then. Like I said before, I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best. See you over the page! (:**


	3. Come Morning Light

**Hey fellow fairytales! I'm back with another chapter. :) I really wanted to get this up on my birthday, but I was** _ **really**_ **stuck on a few of the scenes and I didn't want to sacrifice the quality in order to get it up sooner. Thank you for the birthday wishes, they really brightened my day. Special shout-out to my Nanny Alice for giving me the Raven Queen Thronecoming doll! I've been wanting to get her forever after and I love how shimmery she is! :D**

 **Okay, I'll keep this short because this chapter's a long one. No seriously, the Word document is over 10 pages, and the word count for this chapter is higher than the first two chapters** _ **combined**_ **! Come to think of it, at over 5600 words, this might just be the longest chapter I've** _ **ever**_ **posted. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter 3. :)**

 **Trekrider: Thank you, like always. :)  
** **Forever Daydream: Thank you! (: Hermione's from Harry Potter right? I've never watched the movies or anything but I recognise the name…  
** **coronadomontes: Glad you think so. ;)  
** **silverwolf: Thanks so much for the suggestions. I already have a pretty good idea of what I want to do for some parts of this fic, but I'll definitely see if I can use these somewhere. (;  
** **Guest 1: Will do! ;)  
** **Guest 2: Thank you so much! I got my Thronecoming Raven doll, so I'm happy. ;)  
** **Guest 3: I'll do my best to get them up sooner, hope you like this chapter in the meantime. (:  
** **Average Everyday Sane Psycho: Tell me about it, and we haven't even got to the heartbreaking part yet…  
** **NightLight12: Awww, I'm so glad you like it. :) I've been wondering about that too. My personal headcanon is that he still becomes a beast and Apple's kiss doesn't save him, but I figure I'll just leave it up to the reader's imagination. (For now, at least…)  
** **Katherine Marceline Queen: Thanks (:  
** **MrAndersIversen: Like always, glad to have the support of one of my most loyal readers. ;) I think it would be good if you could watch the series, the next few chapters are going to rely quite a lot on continuity. Plus I'll have someone to have EAH rants with. ;)  
** **Jerry Unipeg: That was definitely the hardest part to write so far. Most of the time it takes a lot to make me** _ **angry**_ **, so trying to script '** _ **vengeful**_ **' was a whole different story. Then of course I had to make sure it was believable as well. I think it turned out ok, but I'm glad to have it out the way. ;)  
** **obsessive360: Ok, this comment truly made my day. XD I can't quite picture shy, sweet Dexterous Charming trying to** _ **destroy**_ **someone, but the thought is amusing. ;)  
** **HunterHero416: Yay, long review! Those are my favourite, so much more to reply to. Okay, I'll try to keep this short because I could easily start a rant on the lack of Dexven material available to us shippers, but I agree- Dexter and Raven** _ **seriously**_ **need more screen-time together. Luckily we have FanFiction, and I have another 3 Dexven fics I'd like to write after this one. Lastly, thank you so much for the early birthday wishes. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 3 ~ Come Morning Light**

' _It's a shame they don't teach 'procrastination' at Ever After High, because I'd so be getting an A right now…_ '

One could argue this was the most useless, non-productive thought ever after, but it was thoughts like these that'd been keeping Faybelle going the past few hours. Never in a hundred years did she ever think she'd spend multiple hours filling food troughs and cleaning the dragon stables out of _freewill_. But then again, she'd never imagined she'd accidently _poison_ the Evil Queen's daughter either…

It was amazing how time since discovering Raven had been poisoned seemed like both a blur, and an eternity at the same time. The morning sun had just begun to emerge from the distant horizon, beams of light reflecting off the thick, violet-red clouds that circled the airborne fortress like a frenzy of bloodthirsty sharks.

Deciding she couldn't avoid the issue any longer, Faybelle reluctantly flew up to the top of the school. One thing was certain; _she_ may have been wasting her time, but the Evil Queen clearly hadn't. Not 12 hours ago, Headmaster Grimm's office stood high above the school, flawless and proud as it oversaw the students as they went about their daily classes. However, that was _last_ chapter…

Being no stranger to the headmaster's office, it was impossible to miss how much the building had been transformed. Though the basic structure had remained, the office floor had been considerably elevated, creating a steep rocky drop to what was the balcony. The dome-shaped roof now held multiple cracks, and with its new jagged archway, now resembled Cinderella's pumpkin with the side smashed in - an image as haunting as it sounds. Like the rest of the school, thick twisting roots scaled the outer walls, thorn-like crystals sprouting from the dark vines. Last of all, the balcony had been stripped of its protective stone railing, leaving only a dragon-sized landing platform that grew precariously narrower the closer one got to the end. Just _looking_ at it made her grateful she had wings…

Fluttering into the eerie lair, she found a sight as fearful as the lair itself. Draped in shadow, a glorious throne stood proudly against the back wall. Upon this wicked masterpiece sat the Evil Queen herself, deep in thought as she examined her blood-red manicure.

Faybelle found herself wondering what was going through the queen's mind. Judging by her tight-lipped frown and knitted-brow, it was clearly something evil. Whatever it was, she was certain she could tell what she _would_ be thinking before long…

Speaking of which, the Evil Queen had made no gesture to show she'd noticed her arrival. As quietly as possible, she began to walk away. Maybe she could stall the matter just a _little_ longer…?

"Faybelle."

Faybelle cringed, stopping in her tracks. So much for slipping away unnoticed. Faking a small smile, she turned back to her boss, "Yes, your rottenness?"

"I sent the dragons out _hours_ ago. What's taken you so long?"

Oh, _right_ … _Curses_ … The young fairy needed an excuse, and _quick_.

"I, uh, figured I'd do a head-count. You know, make sure no one had escaped…"

Okay, so it wasn't the _best_ excuse, but at least her boss bought it. In truth, she _had_ noticed that certain students had seemed to have inexplicably disappeared from campus, but considering what she was about to tell her, the less the Evil Queen knew, the better…

"And the apple?" she pressed, finally looking up from her nails.

Faybelle had to resist the urge to gulp, but managed to respond. "Uh, yep. All done…"

"Hexcellent..." The Evil Queen smirked as she casually leant back in her throne, tapping her nails together with an evil snicker. "Those idealistic _damsels_ are still out there, and this isn't over _yet_. But I've come too far not to see my ultimate plan to completion."

It wasn't clear if she was addressing her minion, or simply voicing her thoughts. Either way, there was no disputing that she was completely confident in her plan; a plan that had already spiralled beyond even _her_ control.

"Yeah, about that…" Faybelle chuckled nervously, subconsciously rubbing her arm. "Do we, even _need_ Raven? See, I was thinking-"

 _That_ got her attention, and _not_ in the good way.

"Need I remind you who wears the _crown_ in this wicked takeover?" The Evil Queen stood abruptly, taking a few graceful steps towards her. " _I_ do all the thinking."

The young dark fairy instinctively stepped back, her wings ready to take off at a moment's notice, "I- I know... It's just you're so _wicked_ , and Raven-"

" _Raven_ is going to be _just_ like me because I'm giving her no _**choice**_!"

"It won't work. Raven _can't_ turn evil!"

The Evil Queen's eyebrow shot up, and Faybelle instantly wanted to slap herself. Can't? _Can't?!_ Why the hex didn't she say ' _won't_ '? 'Won't' didn't sound anywhere _near_ as suspicious as ' _can't_ '.

"What aren't you telling me?"

And there it was… Faybelle took a nervous breath, readying herself for whatever was to come. "It wasn't Apple who ate the poison apple."

The villainess before her merely scoffed, too arrogant to believe one of _her_ plans could ever go wrong, "Don't be ridiculous. Who else could've eaten it?"

Suddenly faced with the treacherous task of confessing her mistake, Faybelle felt her face go pale, like she could faint at any given moment. Frantically trying to calm herself down, she began stammering fearfully, unable to form a single word.

"For Grimm's sake, you _stupid_ girl! Spit it out!"

Startled by the sudden shout, she blurted out the truth in a single breath, "It was Raven!"

The Evil Queen's eyes instantly widened in shock, before she responded darkly, " _What_...?"

That one word – no matter how dark – was spoken so softly it was barely audible, and yet in that moment, it was more terrifying than the loudest scream. Why? Because she was surprised, and it takes a lot to catch a great villain like the Evil Queen off guard. The notion alone was vastly dangerous; if she was off guard, she had no next move, so there was no predicting where this revelation would go…

Panic coursed through Faybelle's veins as she continued, desperately trying to explain herself, "I- I don't know what happened! I planted the poison apple and went to meet the dark dragons like you said, but when I got back..."

"You _insignificant_ _ **fool!**_ Do you even _realise_ what you've _**done?!**_ "

The young fairy leapt back in fear, her heart pounding in her chest, "Can't you fix this? I mean, it's _your_ apple…"

"Don't you _understand_?" the Evil Queen fumed, her cold eyes burning with malice. "There's only _one_ way to break that curse, and Raven doesn't have some _feeble, incompetent_ _ **prince**_ whose only purpose in life is to rescue his _**pathetic**_ _damsel-in-distress_!"

"But what about-"

"All of my _plotting_ and _planning_ was finally going to get me what I _**want**_ _!_ My daughter is as good as _dead_ , and it's _all_ because of _you_!"

Faybelle's frightened eyes widened, her shoulders dropping sadly as the true meaning behind her words sank in. "All of this was about Raven? But… what about me?"

"What about _you_?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "Not only have you ruined _hours_ of scheming, but my daughter is _gone_ because of your insolence!"

With a vicious swipe, the Evil Queen ripped the small black and magenta purse she'd given her minion from her shoulder, absorbing the dark magic within it. Had Faybelle not been so scared, she'd be glad she took her phone out of that bag on her way here, but she had more important things to worry about right now…

"You're no longer of any use to me, and you shall pay for what you've done." The Evil Queen's voice had grown remarkably calm, which somehow made her even more terrifying. Evil magic burned like untamed fires in her eyes, magenta flames dancing on her hands as she began to cast a spell, " _With this spell I lay waste the past, and seal your fate with a savage blast!_ "

Almost instantly, the magenta wisps of dark magic transformed into an icy blue fireball, before hurtling towards the young dark fairy.

Screaming in panic, Faybelle darted out the way with only a second to spare, landing with a hard thud on the landing platform as the icy blast exploded where she'd been just moments ago. Once the smoke cleared, she was met with a hateful glare as the Evil Queen lowered herself down onto the platform, closely followed by another fireball. Scrambling to her feet, she dashed away from the approaching villainess, her intricate wings flapping for dear life.

A barrage of fireballs hurled past her as she barely managed to dodge them, creating a wall of thick smoke as they exploded. Taking her sole chance to escape, she dove behind a section of the school's roof, hoping the brambled vines curled around the building would shield her from view.

The Evil Queen let out an angry growl, scouring the surrounding air for her escapee. Finding nothing, she transformed her dress back into her dragon-riding attire, jumping onto the back of one of the dark dragons as it passed.

Faybelle pressed her back further into the uneven roof tiles. With both the Evil Queen _and_ one of her dragons hunting her down, she couldn't have more than a minute before being discovered, so if she wanted to see her next sundown she needed a plan, and she needed it _now_.

At that moment, she noticed a small bug crawling along one of the twisted roots beside her. Her hands shaking, she began to chant a spell, her words growing more rushed with every syllable, " _One, two, three four five; cast this spell so I survive. Make it good, make it fast; make a clone to take the blast!_ "

Forks of lightning-like magic burst from her palms, enveloping the bug in thick plumes of stormy blue smoke. The cloud of dark smoke continued to grow until it reached her height, then vanished to reveal a carbon copy of herself.

Blinking soullessly at her, the clone flew out into plain sight, and Faybelle drew in a frightened breath. The Evil Queen was many things, but _stupid_ wasn't one of them. She wasn't the kind of gullible fool who would fall for such an amateur spell. But perhaps the young dark fairy's only reassurance in that moment was that she _was_ angry. Very, _very_ angry, and hopefully that rage was strong enough to mask the obvious trickery.

As hexpected, the Evil Queen instantly spotted the clone, but thankfully the spell went unnoticed. Blinded by her thirst for vengeance of her daughter's imminent death, she hurled a final blast at the clone. The clone let out a bloodcurdling scream of agony - Faybelle was silently thankful her spell gave that bug her voice, or else it would have been a dead giveaway - before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

Through the clearing haze, Faybelle could make out the distant wingbeats of a departing dragon, but she didn't dare peek her head out to see for herself. The immediate danger may have passed, but her body continued to shake in fear, salty tears of relief flowing down her cheeks. She was safe for now, but sooner or later the Evil Queen would figure out the truth, and she couldn't be here when she did.

Taking a moment to steady her rapid breathing, she dived down towards the ground, vanishing from sight.

* * *

You'd never have realised such a storm was brewing over Ever After High; not from the skies above the Enchanted Forest. The forest was bathed in warm sunlight, birds singing sweetly as the softest breeze wove between the trees. For perhaps the first time in her life, Apple felt a bitter seed starting to form in the core of her stomach. How dare the sky be so bright and happy on a day like today; the day they'd lost one of those dearest to them. It should be grey and overcast from thick, heavy clouds, with rain pouring down over the dull landscape. Those were the days Raven liked best; sitting comfortably by the window as raindrops pelted against the glass, strumming on her guitar or listening to her favourite music. Apple wondered if she'd ever be able to sit through a Tailor Quick song without crying again…

She and the others hadn't had time to ponder such things the last few hours. While Daring stayed behind to watch over Raven, Featherly, Deerla and Harelow had led them to a quiet clearing within the Enchanted Forest. On the far edge of the clearing, there stood a mighty willow tree; tall and strong, with purple leafy vines hanging from its branches. They'd all agreed it was the perfect place for Raven to rest in peace…

Chattering a spell, the three woodland pixies used their magic to reshape the thick roots in front of the tree, forming the base of a coffin. Once the spell was complete, Featherly led Apple and Ashlynn away to help her gather downy feathers from the birds' recent malt, explaining that they'd give Raven something soft to sleep on until she woke. In their absence, Maddie and Darling went with Deerla and Harelow to find some flowers they could use for decoration. Deerla had also managed to find a patch of white roses, and picked six for them to give to their fallen friend. Apple was the first to question the gesture – having witnessed many times what happened to flowers that came in contact with Raven's dark magic – until Ashlynn informed them that since obtaining her full powers, Raven had been able to handle flowers without issue.

Halfway through the night, it occurred to them that they weren't the only ones Raven had regrettably left behind. With the others taking care of everything else, the O'Hair twins went back to where they'd tethered their dragons, who were fast asleep like nothing was wrong. After waking her from her peaceful slumber, they led Nevermore to Raven's body, sadly watching on as she shrank down to nuzzle her owner's pale face. While Poppy helped Daring fix his matted hair and sponge the stains from his jacket, Holly did her best to comfort Nevermore, although her efforts seemed to be in vain.

But now, as morning sunlight shone from above, it was the moment they'd all been dreading – the moment they'd lay Raven to rest…

In true Charming fashion, Daring had Raven's frail form cradled in his arms, carrying her bridal-style towards her waiting coffin. As carefully as possible, he lay her down on her bed of soft feathers, gently positioning her so she was lying comfortably on her back with her hands lightly resting on her stomach.

"Thank you… For making my little brother so happy…" he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Stepping away from the coffin, he watched as the girls walked towards them in double file, each holding a flawless white rose. He shared a sad look with Ashlynn as she stood beside him on the left side of the coffin, Holly and Poppy taking their places beside her. Apple stood opposite Ashlynn, with Maddie and Darling to her left.

It didn't seem possible, but somehow Raven seemed even paler in the morning light. She made no sound as she slept, her chest rising and falling just enough to show she was breathing.

Apple's mind went back to the start of the school year, just after she and Raven started rooming together. They'd been getting ready for breakfast one morning when Raven casually asked a question that almost made her gag on her toothbrush: ' _By the way, did you know you snore?_ ' Obviously she'd been quick to insist princesses _didn't_ snore – naturally Raven reminded her that Briar snores for a pastime, but she'd dismissed that simply as Briar being Sleeping Beauty's daughter. It wasn't until the next morning when Raven presented her with the video evidence that she learnt the shocking truth. She didn't want to believe those funny memories with her roommate had come to an end…

Something purple and scaly appeared in the corner of her eye, and she turned to see Nevermore – who was in her usual 'Labrador' size – slowly approaching the coffin. Standing on her hind legs, the young dragon placed her front paws on the edge of the coffin, helplessly watching her beloved owner. Her face somewhat resembling a frown, Nevermore rested her muzzle between her paws, letting out a low, mournful croon.

Maddie sniffled sadly, holding her rose closer to her chest, "Is that what dragons sound like when they cry on the inside?"

With her free hand, Apple gently patted Nevermore's head. Everyone knew dragons couldn't cry, which was perhaps why they had such expressive faces, but Apple knew from those few soft whimpers that if she could, she'd be crying her poor, little dragon heart out.

"I can't bear to see Raven like this…" Ashlynn chimed in, face full of sorrow.

Darling swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, doing her very best to sound like some hope still remained, "Raven's stronger than we know. Just because Daring's kiss didn't wake her, doesn't mean she won't wake up someday…"

"But… But it could be _hundreds_ of _years_ before she wakes up!" Holly exclaimed, her twin adding, "If she wakes up at all…"

"I just hope she knows how much we'll miss her…" Ashlynn sighed, laying her rose on Raven's chest. One by one, the other girls did the same, gently tucking the stems of their own roses under their friend's limp hands, forming a beautiful white bouquet.

Apple was the last to lay down her rose. There were so many things she wanted to tell Raven in that moment; a dozen mistakes she wanted to set right, a hundred regrets she wanted to confess. Even if she did manage to find the words, would Raven even be able to hear them? But as she put her rose with the others, she suddenly knew what she wanted most to say.

"You were right back at the Dragon Centre. I _was_ being selfish, and I _didn't_ listen to you the way a true friend should." She could feel her voice starting to break, but she forced herself on, "You didn't refuse to follow your destiny to spite me; you just wanted to be _happy_. Why couldn't I see that sooner?"

The others could do nothing but watch in empathy as Apple put her face in her hands. It was starting to seem like the more time that passed, the worse Apple's guilt continued to grow, and none of them really knew how to help her…

Her usual madness absent in the tense moment, Maddie put a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Raven cares about you, Apple. I'm sure she doesn't hold it against you…"

Apple glanced at the rest of their group, who nodded in agreement, before heaving a sigh as she straightened up, "I should have taken that apple from Raven's mother when she offered it to me back at school. At least then it would be me laying there instead of Raven…"

Her words sent a shock of concern pulsing through their veins. Between the seven of them, countless questions had passed through their minds. How long would Raven be asleep, and would Nevermore be ok in the mean time? Had anyone else managed to escape from school, and how were they going to tell the one who'd miss her the most? But there was one vital matter they'd _all_ failed to consider: how would the Evil Queen – Raven's _mother_ – respond to such an unhexpected plot twist? Come to think of it, did she even know at all? They'd heard nothing on their mirrorphones to suggest things back at Ever After High had suddenly gotten worse, and it was highly unlikely Faybelle would be eager to admit such a tremendous error…

Apple's eyes widened in determination, and it made the others cringe. She wasn't _actually_ thinking of being the one to tell her, was she?

"Maybe, maybe it's not too late… I'll go back to Ever After and have her put Raven's curse on me instead."

Apparently she was. Their eyes wide with alarm, Ashlynn, Holly and Poppy dashed after Apple as she hurried away.

"No! Don't do it Apple," Holly exclaimed as she and Ashlynn grabbed her shoulders, stopping her just before she reached the centre of the clearing. "Making a deal with the Evil Queen won't wake Raven. You know that…"

"Besides, she isn't called the ' _Evil_ Queen' for nothing," Poppy pointed out. "If you just go waltzing in and tell her Raven was poisoned by mistake, she might take her grief out on the school. That's the _last_ thing Raven would want…"

Apple looked down sadly, rubbing her arm as Maddie came over to join them, with a now cat-sized Nevermore nestled in her arms. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew they were right. She just hated feeling so helpless…

Now Raven's body was no longer surrounded by her grieving friends, Featherly took the opportunity to approach the coffin. With a simple spell, a clear sheet of glass arched over Raven's sleeping form, separating her from the rest of the world.

Darling was the only one of the girls not to go after Apple, remaining at the foot of Raven's coffin. Her hand shook violently as she reached out to touch the glass, but she fought to maintain her stoic expression. She wouldn't acknowledge the excruciating pain gripping her heart. She'd block out the wave of memories crashing towards her. She'd refuse to admit that somewhere inside, a selfish part of her wanted to run to the highest point of Rapunzel's tower and scream at the top of her lungs. Any of those would surely break the wall she was _already_ struggling to hold together, and the others needed someone to lean on right now…

Daring watched his sister in perfect silence. He was the only one not to have cried yet, which didn't _really_ surprise them. Most people would say it was because he was 'the great' _Daring Charming_ , and that he didn't show his emotions that openly. Others might simply scoff, and accuse him of being too focused on himself to show that he cared at all. What no one knew – and what he had no intention in telling – was that the real reason was because in fact he already _had_. Shielded by night's darkness, while no one else was around, he'd allowed a few, salty tears to slip down his _usually_ flawless face. He might be the eldest son of King Charming, but he was still human. He felt grief like everyone else; he just wasn't as willing to show it…

Approaching her carefully, Daring stood beside his sister, "You know, you don't have to be strong for me, little sis…"

Darling didn't move, or even tense in the slightest. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Darling, I know you're just trying to be strong for the others." Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he turned her to face him, his bright blue eyes gazing seriously into hers. "You need a chance to grieve too…"

She felt her tears well up again, only this time she didn't fight them. Finally allowing her crumbling wall to fall, Darling hugged her brother tightly, "Oh Daring…"

Daring rested his chin on her head as he held her close. It wasn't very comfortable considering she was still in her Dragon Games attire – jewelled headwear and all – but at least it helped her let go of her grief.

"She was one of my best friends forever after. I was waiting for the day I could call her my _sister_. And I didn't even get to say 'good bye'…" Darling sobbed into his chest, all the emotions she'd been bottling up _finally_ spilling over. Back when she and Raven first met, a part of her was just sizing her up to see if she really was good enough for her brother, but in no time at all, she became one of her closest friends.

"I know, Darling. I know…" His voice was soft and soothing, but it didn't really help.

Darling tried to wipe the tears from her flushed face, but more kept falling in their place, "What are we going to tell Dexter? He's head-over-glass-slippers for her. He was trying to get the courage to tell her he _loves_ her. This'll break his heart…"

Daring was lost for words. Sure, he knew their brother had fallen hopelessly under Raven's spell, but he had no idea Dexter was _actually_ getting ready to tell her that. How did _Darling_ know about this before _he_ did? Then again, his little bro had always been more comfortable opening up to his sister than he had to him. Daring couldn't help but feel just a little hurt by that, but like always, he chose to ignore it…

He wasn't sure if she'd noticed his silence, but she looked at him with teary eyes, "Dexter's my twin brother. We share almost _everything_ with each other; even our _pain_ … How am I supposed to tell the brother I love so much, that the girl he loves is _gone_?"

There wasn't really an answer to a question like that…

"When the time comes, we'll _both_ tell him, _together_. Ok?"

Darling nodded tearfully, "Ok…"

They didn't hear Deerla and Harelow chattering in sudden excitement, but _oh curses_ , did they hear the cheerfully unaware greeting that followed, having _literally_ known it their whole lives…

"Hey guys!"

Daring and Darling simultaneously winced; there was _no_ mistaking that voice. Turning round, they saw a number of their friends and fellow students running over a hill on the other side of the clearing. Some of them were Royals such as Lizzie and Blondie, others were Rebels including Cerise, Melody and Rosabella. There was even a small collection of newly enrolled students. But one person in particular stood out in the crowd, his arrival both a relief and a pain at the same time. _Dexter_ …

Apple couldn't help but feel offended by the way they laughed and cheered as they entered the clearing. It hurt to see them so happy, celebrating their triumphant escape, unaware of just how much they'd lost…

"Hunter!" Spotting her boyfriend in the crowd, Ashlynn ran into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Ordinarily, he'd have been quick to lift her up and spin her round in the air, but his smile instantly vanished when he saw the redness in her eyes. "Ashlynn?"

Ashlynn merely sniffed as she fought back tears, resting her head on his strong shoulder. In spite of all that had happened, she genuinely _was_ happy to see him, but the wounds were still a little too fresh for her to truly show it.

"How did you guys get here?" Poppy asked, the first to recover from the bittersweet reunion.

Briar smiled, gesturing towards one of EAH's newer students, the heroic, heights-loving daughter of Jack Beanstalk, "It was Jillian's beanstalk."

"A few of us were able to sneak away from school while Faybelle was out with the dragons," Jillian explained with a smile. She knew those magic beans would come in handy.

The initial rush of their daring escape dying down, the newly-freed students settled into comfortable chatter, sharing a few laughs amongst themselves as they recalled their thrilling getaway. But for one student, something just _didn't_ feel right…

The night before, as he waited his turn to escape down Jillian's towering beanstalk, Dexter had suddenly felt his stomach churn into a tight, aching knot. At the time, he'd assumed it was just nerves from knowing he was about to _jump_ out a building suspended at least a _mile_ off the ground, but even now – hours later with the school far behind them – the nauseous feeling still remained.

It was at that moment he noticed Apple and her friends were all avoiding his eyes, desperately trying to pretend he wasn't there. Even Maddie, who he suddenly realised was holding a small purple dragon in her arms. One he'd recognise in a heartbeat…

"Wait, where's Raven?"

Daring and Darling shared a worried look, knowing the dreaded moment had come, before walking towards the others.

Dexter was momentarily surprised, having not seen them until now, but it was instantly replaced with concern when he saw Darling's tear-stained face, "Sis?"

"Oh Dexter…" she breathed, her voice breaking as she hugged him sadly. "We didn't know. We _just_ didn't _know_ …"

Dexter held her close, growing more worried by the second. He'd seen his sister cry before, but never like this. Something was wrong – _really_ wrong – and it had something to do with his Raven.

"' _Didn't know?_ '" Taking a step back, he looked at his siblings in concern. "What's going on? _Where's_ Raven?"

Bracing himself for the torturous task, Daring placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, then forced the three heartbreaking words off his lips, "Dexterous… She's gone…"

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Oh my fairy godmother, the feels!** _ **Why do I keep doing this to myself?!**_ **:*(**

 **Well, this is definitely the longest chapter yet, but hard as it was to write, I love how it turned out. I think I made Daring a little OOC this chapter, but for the sake of the story, I don't mind. Besides, he isn't** _ **completely**_ **self-centred, and Dexter and Darling are his little siblings.**

 **Ok, so next chapter will obviously be Dexter's reaction and Raven's funeral. I have something special planned that wasn't in the original movie, which I'm really looking forward to posting. :) That being said, it is going to take a** _ **lot**_ **of planning and even more time to write, so I can't say how long it will be before the next update. But no fear, I promise it'll be worth the wait. ;)**

 **I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. I love replying to the comments I do get, so if you have any questions or suggestions you'd like me to respond to feel free to include them in your review. Or you can send me a PM, either's fine by me. See you over the page! (:**


	4. How to Face the Faceless Days

**Hey fairytales, it's been too long! Happy Valen- oops, happy** _ **True Hearts**_ **Day. ;) Personally I've spent it alone, but it means I'm able to get this up for my dear readers. :D The last couple months have been absolutely hectic here. We were all sick over Christmas, Dad's been in hospital twice, I just found out I have a cataract in my right eye and will have to go to a specialist, and don't even get me** _ **started**_ **on writer's block.**

 **Also, I went to see Ballerina (my American readers would know it as Leap!) almost as soon as it came out here, and my dear readers, I have an announcement…** _ **STALKA HAVE A RIVAL!**_ ***O* Anyone who knows** _ **anything**_ **about me knows that Stoick and Valka from How to Train Your Dragon 2 have long been my** _ **undisputed**_ **OTP across every fandom** _ **ever**_ **, which is why I was so shocked that Ballerina was able to give me a pairing so perfectly adorable they almost took Stalka's lead. That pairing? None other than one Monsieur Mérante and his graceful beauty Odette. Though neither verbally confess their feelings on screen, their secret love for each other is so obvious through their stolen glances and silent gestures you just can't help but love them. Literally the** _ **only**_ **thing keeping Stalka ahead is his proposal. Mind you, one more time watching Ballerina in full might just be enough to change that. What can I say? Writer's gonna write, shipper's gonna ship. ;p  
**

 **Okay, I have a few things I want to discuss before we get to the chapter. First of all, I ended up rewatching a number of webisodes in the creation of this chapter, and it's suddenly dawned on me that Ever After High's story timeline makes** _ **no**_ **sense. Given that the show is based on America's school year structure – which I admit I know little about – the franchise starts in late summer/early autumn of Legacy Year, which from the books is the second year of high school. Next comes True Hearts Day, which occurs during the spring in place of Valentine's Day, followed by Thronecoming, which according to Google would be sometime in the fall. Then it jumped to spring again for Spring Unsprung, proceeded by Way Too Wonderland. We can assume Dragon Games is set no more than a week or two after WTW, with Epic Winter following almost immediately after that and set in early summer. And that's not even including the numerous 'Ever After Yearbook' webisodes, some of which are incredibly hard to place in the timeline. Does this mean Epic Winter falls almost** _ **two years**_ **after the Legacy Day saga, and the year that follows is their final and senior year? If so, why haven't we had word of a single birthday aside from Apple's May 13th** **birthday in 'Apple's Birthday Bake-Off' back near the beginning of the series? And why are the characters' looks or roommates the same as in the first webisodes? If anyone knows more about this, please let me know, as I** _ **may or may not**_ **have started drafting a sequel that will expand past Epic Winter in the timeline. Not that anyone told you that of course. ;)**

 **Secondly, I feel the need to address the future of this story. Don't worry, I'm not cancelling it, but I do need to clear up some things about how frequently it will be updated. My mother's condition has deteriorated of late, and my poor dad is completely exhausted. They need me more than my writing does, so please try to be mindful of that. Also, although I have graduated high school, my school failed to tell me I wasn't taking the right courses to get into university, so as of February 27th, I'll have to partake in a 6-month UniReady course. This is one of my few chances to make up for my school's errors, so that will have to be my top priority. Until then, I'll try to complete a number of my unfinished and unwritten oneshots and put them in storage; that way I'll still have something to post over my 6-month absence.**

 **I want to thank each and every one of you for your understanding at this time. With so much uncertainty in my life right now, knowing I have your faith and support means more than you can know. So it seems only fitting I make this chapter the best it can be. Sit back, get comfy, and enjoy. You're all wonderlandiful. :)**

 **Guest (Clinton): Thank you so much! :) I hope to hear your thoughts on this chapter.  
coronadomontes: Thanks (:  
MrAndersIversen: Hope you enjoy this chapter too. ;)  
Trekrider: Thanks Dad. *hugs*  
Guest 1: Thank you for your support. The reviews I get do more good than you know. (:  
Guest 2: I apologise for the long wait. Hope this chapter makes up for it…  
HunterHero416: If you think last chapter was bad for feels, just wait until you read this and Chapter 6. Not going to spoil anything, just know it's going to be big. ;)  
dancingmylifeaway: New reviewer! Awesome! ;) All will be revealed in good time.  
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Chaotic Reflections: Oh my sweet Disney! This is without doubt the longest review I'll ever had, and I love it! :D Well, I've rambled long enough as it is, so all I'll say is thank you so much for all the help you've given me this chapter. I truly hope you enjoy it.**

 **silverwolf: I'm glad to see you're enjoying this fic. :) Please just try to understand that caring for my mother has to be my priority. I'd be more than happy for you to leave a review telling me what you liked about the chapter, but please understand that leaving multiple reviews telling me to update soon only puts me under more stress than I'm already under…**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 4 ~ How to Face the Faceless Days**

 _Dexterous_ … That should have been his first warning. No one ever after addressed him by his full name; not his parents, his siblings, his friends, his teachers, not even the palace staff back home. For the most part, everyone simply called him Dexter. The only other name he knew was Dex – the name his Raven gave him back when they were in spellementary school. Ok, so she wasn't the only one who used it – Cupid used to use it constantly, which he only tolerated because she was his friend – but it always meant something special coming from Raven's lips. _Dexterous_ though? That name was almost unfamiliar to him, and in the rare event that he _did_ hear it, it was only ever for one of two reasons; either he'd done something wrong (again) and was getting yelled at by his father, or something serious had happened to someone he cared about.

But as if hearing his full name wasn't alarming enough, the two words that followed threatened to crumble the ground beneath him. He didn't want to believe he'd heard them at all. But how couldn't he with his older brother watching him with eyes filled with worry? Surely he'd just heard him wrong. Hadn't he…?

Sensing the tenseness still evident in his sister's shoulders, Daring continued, "The Evil Queen came after Apple last night, but her plan backfired and the apple took out Raven by mistake…"

The words hung in the air like a brewing storm cloud. The clearing had grown suddenly quiet, no doubt from the others overhearing his brother's revelation, but he didn't even notice. His mind felt fogged and heavy, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Dexter quickly turned to his twin, desperately searching her eyes, "Darling?"

"We did… _everything_ we could… But we were too late…" she replied, her voice trembling as she battled back her own emotions.

Dexter shook his head fiercely, all rationality disappearing. It felt like someone had punched him in the gut. More than anything, he desperately wanted to believe this was all a cruel prank; his brother's sick idea of a practical joke. Deep down, he knew his brother wasn't that heartless, and his sister _certainly_ wasn't. But this was the only hexplanation his aching heart could process. The only other alternative…

"No… You- you're lying… Raven's okay; she _has_ to be…"

Daring sighed heavily, trying not to think about the throbbing in his chest. They might not be as close as they once were, but now and forever after, Dexter would _always_ be his baby brother. No amount of time could wash away the memories of him crawling down the hall to his brother's room on his hands and knees at the dead of night, solely to soothe his frightened cries.

"I wish we were. I _really_ wish we were…" he muttered as he and Darling stepped away from each other, coming to stand on either side of their brother.

Up until now, Dexter's view of the purple-vined willow tree that now harboured his sweetheart had been blocked by his siblings, but with them gone, his sapphire eyes finally landing on his Raven as she lay in her glass… He couldn't think the final word…

Somehow, Dexter found enough strength to force his legs into motion, slowing approaching her unmoving form. As he got closer, he felt the pain in his chest get more and more powerful, allowing his eyes to drink in what was left of the love of his life. Her soft skin was deathly pale, the faint rise and fall of her chest the only proof he had that she was still with him, albeit only just. Her raspberry lips – those lips he'd dreamt of for so long – were weakly pressed together, an all-too-painful indication of the suffering she endured in her final moments.

"Raven…"

Her name left his lips so softly you almost couldn't hear it. As he came to stand by her coffin, he kept waiting for it to all just disappear; for Sandra Dream to reveal it to be nothing more than a cruel nightmare meant to show him he shouldn't waste his chances. It wouldn't be the first time she'd done that. As the next Sandman, one of her duties was to observe people's fears and struggles in the waking world, and help them face them in the realm of sleep. Though he'd never known it, she'd visited him many times before, hidden from his sight as she tenderly prompted his dreams in the right direction. In fact, she'd only ever appeared to him on one occasion, in a dream that changed _everything_ for him and Raven…

It was a cold night, forks of lightning flashing as thunder echoed through the cloudy sky. Upon closer inspection, he realised they were back at Legacy Day, only with one horrifying difference. Somehow, the Evil Queen was free from her prison and had possessed Raven's mind, and was now forcing her to sign her destiny. With no other way to save her, he ran to Raven as fast as his legs could carry him and shoved her out the way, grabbed the quill, and signed his own name on her page. No sooner had he done so, dark magic began to consume him, his own pained screams filling the air. It was at that moment that her angelic voice echoed through the darkness, calling for the dream to stop. At her command, all the dark magic flooded back out of his tired body as he collapsed to the ground, before finding himself at the gold-dust ballet slippers of the Sandman's daughter. She was a beautiful girl – nowhere near as beautiful as Raven, but pretty all the same – with Caucasian skin and golden eyes, her wavy peach and coral hair pulled back into a high-ponytail and decorated with a single white rose. After helping him to his feet, she assured him this was just a dream and that Raven was safe, before questioning him about his dream, gently prompting him into a _long_ overdue confession. That night was the first time he'd openly confessed he was in love with Raven, and had given him the courage to finally ask her out on their first date. Though he hadn't _seen_ her since then, he knew he'd forever after be grateful to her, more so now than ever…

His hand trembling, Dexter reached out to touch the glass, praying that any moment Sandra would intervene and end this torture. But to his horror, his hand collided with the cool glass. Just like that, his heart shattered in his chest, broken and bleeding as it pleaded for the girl he'd always loved. Staggering back, he crumpled to his knees, his heartbroken sobs filling the clearing. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched his chest in agony, drowning below the ever-coming waves of hopelessness and despair.

Daring gently took his sister in his arms, gently soothing her as she sobbed. For as long as he could remember, Darling had always said that she and Dexter share each other's pain. He wasn't entirely sure whether she meant it emotionally or physically, but he could tell this was hurting her almost as much as it was hurting their brother.

"I knew something must've happened when I saw how deep a blue your auras were, but I never hexpected this…" Rosabella commented as she walked up to Apple. Though surprisingly few people knew about it, she had the ability to magically depict a person's truest feelings through coloured auras only she could see and understand. As soon as she sensed the groups' anxiousness, she'd adjusted her eyes to see their auras, finding each to be a deep grieving blue.

"There must be something we can do," Blondie chimed in as she also joined them, closely followed by Cedar, Briar and Cerise.

"You guys know my story," Apple sighed. "Once the apple takes effect, only a kiss from my destined prince can break the spell."

"But Raven doesn't _have_ a 'prince of destiny'…" Briar pointed out.

"We tried using Daring's destiny to wake the next Snow White to our advantage, but there was nothing else we could do…" Poppy hexplained, the others nodding sadly.

Cerise raised an eyebrow at Daring, giving him an unimpressed look, "You kissed your brother's girlfriend?"

Rosabella elbowed her BFFA and nodded toward Raven's coffin, the others quickly catching on. Dexter was already going through enough; hopefully he hadn't overheard what could so easily be taken as a great act of betrayal by his brother in his current heartbroken state. Thankfully though, he made no effort to move, which almost certainly meant he hadn't heard them.

After a moment of watching his grieving form, Cedar broke the eerie silence, her inability to lie making her the first to face the bitter truth, "So, what do we do?"

"There's only one thing we can do," Apple replied sadly. "Blondie, do you have your mirrorpad?"

"Of course," Blondie nodded as she held it up, Briar biting her lip.

"Apple, are you sure it's a good idea broadcasting something like that?"

"There's been a lot of rumours flying around since her mother broke free. I want Raven to be remembered for who she truly is."

"And the Evil Queen?" Poppy pressed, sharing a concerned look with her sister.

"She's going to find out eventually," Apple pointed out. "Raven was loved by so many people. We shouldn't rob them of their chance to say 'goodbye'..."

Soon enough, the others nodded in agreement, their gaze returning to their fallen friend.

* * *

It took mere minutes for the group of Ever After escapees to prepare for Raven's funeral. Per Apple's request, the woodland pixies grew a violet podium tastefully decorated with flowers beside Raven's coffin, Apple taking her place behind it. Everyone had gathered in the clearing overlooked by the mighty willow tree that stood watch over their friend's sleeping form, standing in respectful silence as they waited for the funeral to start. For many, it was a moment of personal reflection, each remembering what they loved about Raven.

Dexter stood between his brother and sister, but he could barely register his surroundings. His mind was numb, the pieces of his broken heart throbbing in his chest. Raven had been such an important part of his world, ever since the moment they met. The notion that she was simply ' _gone_ ' was too much for his grieving soul to process…

Standing at the front, Blondie was helping Cedar check over her equipment for what would be one of her hardest features. As her head cameraman and part of her tech-team, Dexter was normally in charge of all the pre-show checks, but under the circumstances, she didn't have the heart to ask him right now. Doing so would be nothing but cruel.

"Is that everything?" Cedar asked as Blondie handed her her mirrorpad, taking a step back.

"Yes, that's everything," she replied, holding her bear-designed microphone a comfortable distance away from her face. Normally she'd take a moment to find her 'just right' smile, but naturally this was one of those rare hexceptions. "Whenever you're ready…"

"And, go…" Cedar spoke softly, tapping the icon to start filming.

"My fellow fairytales… This is Blondie Lockes, reporting live from the Enchanted Forest, where I regret to inform that the tyranny of the Evil Queen has expanded beyond the walls of Ever After High. Last night, the Evil Queen made a brazen attempt to poison Apple White with the apple from her story. This plan ultimately failed, instead poisoning another of the girls to previously flee Ever After High…"

Blondie paused, taking a moment to find the 'just right' words.

"It is with a heavy heart that I reveal to the world of Ever After, that this student was none other, than Raven Queen."

With that, she moved out of camera-view, revealing Raven's unconscious form for all to see. Unbeknown to them, a collective gasp rippled across the fairytale world. Everyone from passersby on the streets of Book End and students still trapped in their airborne school, to the legendary figures that founded their stories, all watched on in shock at this sudden announcement. Raven's name was one they knew well, and no one hexpected her story to end like this…

"As requested by Apple White, I'm here to bring you hexclusive coverage, as we remember the girl who inspired all of us to follow our hearts. Let's go live to Apple."

Cedar took a small step back, adjusting her position to fit both Apple and Raven's coffin in the frame.

Apple cast a brief glance at the mirrorpad camera, before turning back to the congregation, "We're here today to honour and spellebrate Raven Queen. She was a Rebel, she was my roommate, and she was my friend…"

* * *

The aging king ran a hand over his forehead, stifling another yawn as he glanced at the clock beside his computer. He'd been sitting at his desk for over an hour now, yet he'd only chipped the slipper surface of the work he had to do – most of which involved typing up the same email over and over again. He wasn't used to being this busy. Despite being a king, he'd never _really_ had much in the way of a workload. But with Snow White 'missing' and the Evil Queen on the loose, he'd suddenly received a flurry of emails from various other royals, all _somehow_ hexpecting him to _magically_ conjure up an explanation for the villainess's escape.

It didn't help that he was running on empty. Most of the night before had been spent tossing and turning in bed, plagued with worry for his only child; his precious princess. Being who she was, knowing the Evil Queen roamed free was incredibly troubling.

In that moment, the office door burst open, jolting him from his thoughts. Suddenly awake, he straightened at his desk, watching as one of the palace guards rushed in, carrying what looked like a mirrorphone.

"Edmund, what's wrong?" He'd always been on good terms with the palace staff, never treating them as being any lesser than himself, though they still insisted upon formal gestures such as knocking on doors and addressing him by his title. So to have a guard come charging in without so much as a tap, something _had_ to have happened…

Visibly anxious, Edmund slowly handed him his mirrorphone, "I think you need to see this…"

Taking the phone, the king raised a confused eyebrow. But when he looked down, his eyes widened in shock, seeing his own daughter on the screen. The mirrorphone he'd been handed was currently playing a live report from Blondie Lockes' MirrorCast show, and there in camera view was Apple White behind a violet funeral podium, standing beside a glass coffin occupied by none other than Raven Queen.

"How did this happen?" the king asked, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"A poison apple from the Evil Queen. It was meant for Apple…"

" _If anyone in this realm deserved a happy ending, it was Raven. She was kind, she was humble, and she truly_ _ **was**_ _the fairest of them all; more so than I could ever be…"_

He'd known Raven her whole life. Gentle smile, compassionate heart, the kind of girl who'd apologise to a rat for stepping on its tail; nothing like the 'Evil Queen' destiny hexpected her to be. His wife hadn't been so impressed, firmly believing she should stick to her prewritten path, but he'd always admired her goodness, and her determination to stay true to herself.

"Please, summon my driver," the king requested, rising from his desk. "I'm going to Ever After High."

"Yes, your Majesty."

With that, the guard rushed out. Shoving his own mirrorphone into his pocket, he glanced at the screen once more, again seeing his beloved princess and her 'destined rival'.

" _Once upon a time, 'Raven Queen' was only the name of my storybook villain. But today, it's the name of a friend, a loved one, and a hero…"_

* * *

For once in a chaotic lifetime, the mayhem and madness of Wonderland had drawn to a halt, the eyes of every man, woman, child and creature focused solely on the Queen of Hearts' jumbo-mirror, as it broadcast Apple's eulogy loud and clear for all to see. Some removed their hats, holding them over their hearts. Others shed tears, but each and every one of them was in a state of shock. It had scarcely been a week since Raven had saved their realm not only from the clutches of the scheming wild-card threating to overthrown their queen, but also from her mother's incomplete spell, that had plagued their home for as long as they could remember. She was regarded all across Wonderland as nothing less than their most beloved hero, and was gone from their lives far far too soon.

Ironically enough, the only person _not_ watching the queen's jumbo-mirror, was the Queen of Hearts herself…

" _For countless years, the Evil Queen's unfinished curse loomed over Wonderland, poisoning its magic. In all that time, the people of Wonderland lived in fear of the green haze that circled the sky, isolated from the rest of the world…"_

Two of her security cards close behind her, the Queen of Hearts walked down the winding halls of her Wonderlandian, playing card castle, her mirrorphone in her hand as she sadly listened to the current broadcast. Not unlike her subjects, she too was heartbroken at the news of Raven's poisoning. Her mother may have committed many crimes against her queendom, but her daughter had spared herself and her people from a life of fear, forever after conscious of the looming curse.

At last, she came to stop in front of a large painting – the newest in the entire castle – of her daughter Lizzie and her kingdom's fallen hero, hung above a well-polished, waist-high cabinet.

" _In the midst of the additional chaos, the Queen of Hearts herself was almost overthrown. Even from the Mirror Realm, the Evil Queen was still able to give Courtly Jester the power to take over; so much so that we alone couldn't stop her."_

The painting was commissioned the day after her birthday, in honour of Raven's heroism. Much to her surprise, the young hero had initially declined the tribute, violet eyes laced with insecurity. After some gentle prompting from her daughter, Raven hexplained that while she was honoured by her request, she'd never really been the centre of attention in a good way before, and to be suddenly receiving so much adoration from her and her subjects was a little overwhelming. In the end, Lizzie suggested they have it painted together, so the focus wasn't just on her. Raven happily agreed, resulting in a casual portrait of the pair of them sitting together in their Wonderland-themed dresses, Lizzie holding a playing card fan as wisps of lilac magic danced in Raven's palm.

The Queen of Hearts turned back to her guards, giving them a nod. At her command, the two approached the wooden cabinet, each placing a red rose-scented candle under the painting, one handing her a lit match before moving back behind her.

Retaining her regal stance, she lit the candles, the two tiny flames casting a pale glow on Raven's smiling face.

" _But in that moment, when Wonderland most needed a saviour, Raven stepped up when no one else could, and defeated Courtly in the most selfless way possible; by signing her page in the Storybook of Legends."_

Her eyes never leaving the canvas, she spoke softly in her native Riddlish tongue, uttering a final goodbye on behalf of all Wonderland, "By candlelight, the raven flies. But the love of the rescued, lives a thousand lives."

* * *

Since the beginning of the Evil Queen's wicked takeover, not much of what was Headmaster Grimm's office was still recognisable. Perhaps the only thing that survived the transformation, all be it now sporting a horribly cracked surface, was the TV on one of the side walls, which was currently playing Blondie's broadcast.

Still trapped in animal-forms and locked away in their glasses jars and cases, Snow White and the teachers of Ever After High were the only ones not surprised by the sudden announcement. They'd all been there when Faybelle dropped that bomb-spell on the Evil Queen, so they'd known about Raven before everyone else on campus. This in turn had given them more time to process the news, and longer to reflect on their own past mistakes…

" _For Raven, signing her destiny wasn't as simple as writing her name on a piece of paper. Absorbing all that dark magic at once wasn't just_ _ **agonising**_ _on her body; it was_ _ **overwhelming**_ _on her mind. For a few terrifying minutes, the Raven we know and love was lost to her destiny, so much so that we almost couldn't bring her back. But even after months of being ostracised because of a single choice, she was_ _ **still**_ _willing to risk it all - her life, her happy ending, and everything she'd worked for - just to save the rest of us…"_

Despite being trapped in frog-form, Milton Grimm lowered his head in shame. Regrettably, he'd admit he was delighted when he first found out Raven had signed her page in the Storybook of Legends. Though now, he wished he'd destroyed that cursed book years ago.

He'd always considered himself a good headmaster. From the day Ever After High was founded, he'd hired only the best staff, he'd provided the students with every necessity, and he worked tirelessly to maintain the school's stellar reputation. Only now did he realise just how wrong he was. For years now, he'd lied to and deceived his students in order to prevent the inevitable rebellion. He'd strictly limited the students' ability to choose their own subjects, even though he could see that in various cases across campus, his doing was causing their grades to plummet. But worst of all, he'd repeatedly tried to force the students to follow their destinies, and turned a blind eye to the unhappiness it caused them. In spite of all his efforts, he'd failed the students he'd taken into the school's care, none of them more so than poor Raven…

High school was supposed to be a safe place for teenagers budding into sensible young adults, yet all this suffering had occurred under _his_ watch. And for what reason? Because of _one_ incident back when he and Giles were just boys…

The feeling of guilt settling even further into his stomach, Milton looked over at the glass jar beside his own that now held Giles in lizard-form, and sighed in regret. He hadn't just failed as a headmaster, but also as a brother, which in some ways was far worse. Once upon a time, he promised his little brother that no matter what, they'd always be the best of friends. Then came the incident at the ogre's cave, the day his boyish recklessness almost cost Giles his life.

He made a crucial mistake that day; actually, you could say he made two. He ignored his father's warning and put his brother in danger, then after learning the importance of listening to stories past, he took that lesson to the upmost hextreme, to the point where he saw _any_ stray from destiny as a selfish act of betrayal that could rip at the very fabric of their world. So when his brother came to him – just after they'd successfully stopped the Evil Queen from completing her Wonderland curse – and expressed his opinion that everyone should be able to forge their own destiny, he completely flipped his crown. And by 'flipped his crown', he meant cursing his _own_ brother with a babble spell to silence his opinion, then _locking_ him _underground_.

How Giles ever managed to find it in his heart to forgive him was beyond him. He'd pushed away his own flesh and blood, for the sake of his deluded ideology…

Snow White was having similar regrets, but her daughter's next words sent a shiver through her cold-blooded body…

" _I once labelled Raven as selfish for wanting to rewrite her destiny, but what she was really doing was trying to find something I took for granted, and that was happiness. I saw Raven as a threat to my 'happily ever after', and became so focused on my_ _ **own**_ _happy ending that I allowed myself to be tricked into freeing the Evil Queen."_

Had she been transformed into something with limbs, she'd have put a hand- um, _paw_ over her heart.

"Oh Apple…"

Her voice was filled with disappointment, but that disappointment wasn't directed at her daughter. Her whole life, she'd been prompting Apple to be the perfect princess, preparing her for the day she'd become queen. Then, after Legacy Day, she came down hard on her girl, pressuring her to take whatever measures necessary to steer her destiny back in the right direction. To _be_ that prefect princess…

She herself was pictured as the perfect queen, ' _the fairest of them all_ '. But how many lies had she told to get where she was? What lengths had she gone to to stay there? Hex, she knowingly jeopardised her _entire kingdom_ , all in the name of improving her public image. It was shocking to suddenly realise just how alike she and her life-long rival truly were…

With a great amount of hesitation, Snow wearily cast a glance at the reigning villain. As one would hexpect, the Evil Queen was very much a closed book, never one to keep her cards far from her chest. That being said, from the slightly less prideful way she sat in her throne and the way her cold, dark eyes never left the screen, it would take a fool to not see that she was hurting too. To think she'd once joked about how Raven's destiny could've involved getting 'suckered into eating a poisoned apple'. Never after had she thought for a moment it could _actually_ happen…

" _I realise now that Raven was_ _ **never**_ _evil. Evil doesn't risk everything, for the hope of a brighter future. Evil doesn't strive to give_ _ **everyone**_ _a chance at happiness. Evil, doesn't_ _ **love**_ _in spite of others' judgements. And evil doesn't sacrifice itself, so that_ _ **others**_ _may be safe…"_

Hearing Apple's words, the Evil Queen's mind went back to the years before Mirror Prison, when Raven was just a child. She remembered the bored expression on her daughter's face when she brought her to war meetings or down to her dungeon workshop. She remembered feeling puzzled as to why her beautiful girl didn't enjoy mirror-gazing as much as herself. And most of all, she remembered endlessly sighing in frustration as she watched her – the _future Evil Queen_ – turn flowers into kaleidoscopes of brightly-coloured butterflies, or play with her mind-numbing _good_ father at the cove below their castle.

An ice cold tear rolled down her perfectly sculpted face, but she refused to acknowledge its existence by brushing it away. Perhaps somewhere inside, too deep for even _her_ to see, a tiny part of her dark heart - the part that still glowed with love for her daughter - knew _she_ was the one to blame. Had she not been so determined to make her daughter follow in her footsteps, maybe she would've realised no amount of pushing and prompting was going to change her mind. Whether she liked it or not, her child was born with her father's tender, loving heart, and it would take a lot more than 'dragon games' to change that.

In that moment however, she'd rather be trapped in her mirror prison, watching her daughter pick flowers and sing to woodland creatures, than have the whole _world_ at her fingertips, but not her daughter by her side…

* * *

Curled up in the back corner of one of the vacant dragon stalls, Faybelle hugged her knees close to her chest, holding her mirrorphone with her free hand as she watched Apple's eulogy. She knew she was safe for the time being, but she was also smart enough to know that she couldn't hide out in the dragon stables forever after. Sooner or later, the Evil Queen would learn of her trickery, and she simply _couldn't_ be here when she did.

If she'd known this was where she'd end up – cowering below her airborne high school as she tried to think of a safe place for her to start over – she never would've offered to help Raven's mother in the first place…

" _Raven gave us a precious gift in Wonderland; one I foolishly overlooked. When she destroyed the Storybook of Legends, she severed the ties that bound us to our pre-written paths. She gave us the freedom to follow our true hearts – wherever after they might lead us – without the fear of how our stories will end."_

Had her mind not still been on high alert, she might not have noticed the large shadow that was suddenly looming over her. Screaming in terror, Faybelle scrambled to the other side of the stall, holding her arms up in a futile attempt to shield herself from any oncoming blasts. But to her surprise, none came. Still trembling, the frightened young fairy forced herself to look up at the source of the shadow. A majestic creature of purple scales and intricate wings towered above her, watching her with calm, gentle, bright red eyes, before growling softly to get her attention.

Faybelle relaxed a little, her arms lowering slightly, "Legend… You're not going to tell her, are you?"

Legend shook her mighty head, lying down in front of the stall, then wrapped her long neck protectively around the girl's quivering form. The young fairy couldn't help but give the dragon a small, grateful smile, gently stroking her scaled head. Of course she wanted to soothe her. She'd just days before become a mother to 12 hatchlings – at least, they _were_ hatchlings until she gave them that growth formula – six of which were now who-knows-where in the Enchanted Forest, while the remaining six had been turned evil by the Evil Queen. Her motherly instincts were probably raging at full force right now…

Settling herself comfortably against the mother dragon's head, Faybelle held her mirrorphone out in front of her again, allowing them both to watch.

" _Therefore, in honour of Raven's memory, I – Apple White, daughter of Snow White – hereby decree that all of us should have the power to choose our stories. If your heart calls you to blaze a new trail and write your own story, then don't listen when life tells you it's too hard._ _ **Never**_ _stop pursuing your dreams. And if your choice is to follow in your parents' footsteps, you have to have faith that destiny will find you in its_ _ **own**_ _time, without you having to make deals with evil. I hope, with all my heart, that no one ever repeats my mistake…"_

"Oh Legend… I really messed up this time…"

She already had a destiny; she was the next 'Dark Fairy'. Granted, Briar had decided she no longer _wanted_ to sleep for a hundred years, but that didn't prevent herself from crashing parties and spoiling people's fun elsewhere. So why had she been so desperate to serve the Evil Queen? Yes, she was her idol, but common sense should have told her it could never last. Now she'd endangered the people she _actually_ cared about, and she would no doubt soon have a tower-high price over her head.

Legend crooned softly, looking at her with the same kind of sensible wisdom she'd give to one of her children. Though she couldn't be certain, Faybelle had a strong feeling as to what the dragon was telling her.

' _The choice is yours to make…'_

* * *

By that point, almost everyone in the clearing had tears in their eyes as they quietly listened to Apple's heartfelt eulogy. Briar and Rosabella were doing their best to comfort a distraught Maddie, who was crying into not one- but an entire _string_ of multi-coloured handkerchiefs. Lizzie stood nearby, a watchful eye on Maddie, but her mind on her people, as she paid her silent respects to the girl who saved them. Holly and Poppy stood with their heads leant against each other's, each twin acting as a pillar of strength for the other, while Hunter held Ashlynn's hand gently in his own, reassuring her he was there regardless of their pre-written destinies.

Despite being the only ones not to shed tears – except for Daring, who _had_ to be strong for Dexter's sake, and Cedar who was _literally_ made of wood – Sparrow and Melody wore their own looks of sorrow. They couldn't say they were _close_ with Raven, but they'd forever be grateful to her for freeing them from their fairytales. From her place at the back, Cerise tugged her hood further over her head, as if Raven's passing somehow threatened to 'blow down' her family's secret. As the only one of her friends aware that her mother – Red Riding Hood _herself_ – married the Big Bad Wolf, she understood her in a way no one else did. She'd made her feel like she wasn't alone, especially now that her secret sister was back at Ever After High.

As for the Charming siblings, Daring and Darling remained on either side of their brother, lending him their strength. Though in their hearts, they both knew their presences was scarcely noticed. Though Dexter's tears had slowed, they continued to fall nonetheless. Memory after memory flooded his mind; all the times he'd wanted to tell Raven how much he truly cared for her, and all the moments he'd imagined that they'd never get to share. However, he had noticed Apple's little reference to him in her speech, making a mental note to thank her later.

And all the while, Apple remained behind the podium, watching each different reaction from some of those who loved Raven most. Seeing their somber expressions and tear-stained faces, a painful thought slipped through her mind. Did Raven know? Was she aware of how many lives she'd changed? How many hearts she touched? After choosing to rebel on Legacy Day, Raven became subject to endless scorn and judgement from those who still frowned upon people breaking from their destinies. True, after she destroyed the Storybook of Legends and finally gained control of her powers, Raven's popularity rose to hexceed even her own. But being popular and being loved were two very different things. As much as it broke her heart to admit it, Apple couldn't say whether Raven knew she was loved for simply being her, or just for the spells she could now cast.

Sighing softly, she glanced at her fallen friend. Only now did she notice that the woodland pixies had removed the glass cover from the coffin, hopefully allowing Raven to hear their goodbyes.

"Raven, if you can hear me right now, I want you know that I don't want my 'happily ever after' anymore. I just want my friend back…"

Despite her best efforts, Apple felt herself start to choke up. She'd been doing well until this point, but actually addressing Raven – allowing it to finally sink in – made it all too real, a fresh wave of mournful tears burning in her eyes. Drying her eyes once more, she took a slow breath to compose herself, before forcing herself to finish her speech, "And I promise you – right here, for everyone to see – should you someday come back to us, I'll make sure you get your 'happily ever after'. So long as I live, I'll do whatever it takes to protect the fairytale ending you deserve…"

With that final promise, Apple stepped down from behind the podium. Blondie gave Cedar a nod, signalling for her to stop filming. She quickly complied, before handing her back her mirrorpad.

Apple gave them the barest hint of a smile, mouthing them a 'thank you' before kneeling beside Raven's coffin.

"I miss you. Please remember that…" she whispered, gazing upon her friend's pale face.

Dexter took of his glasses, wiping the tears from his eyes. In spite of his heartache, he felt someone tug at the hem of his jacket. Putting his glasses back on, Dexter looked down, finding one of the woodland pixies beside him.

Giving him a small, sympathetic smile, Deerla held out a perfect red rose. She could tell Raven was very special to him, so during Apple's speech she went back to where she found the white roses and picked a red one for him.

"Thank you..." he whispered sadly, slowly taking the rose. His breath slightly shaky, he looked back to Raven, walking towards the coffin.

Apple noticed him immediately. Standing up, she gave him a tight hug, before going to stand with the others.

Kneeling beside her coffin, Dexter gently tucked his rose under her cold hands. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but the words wouldn't form on his tongue. Where was he supposed to go from here? He knew he'd never be able to love again, but how was he supposed to move on without her? Not even destiny could help him this time…

Perhaps the hardest part of being a Charming was how vague a destiny it really was. Almost every princess at Ever After High was destined to find their own 'Prince Charming', which meant until destiny came calling, there was no knowing who you could end up with. Some princes were happy to just sit back and let destiny itself be the one to do the work, but for Dexter, he'd always known that he didn't want to be with just anyone because 'destiny said so'. If he was going to follow his pre-written path, she had to be his true love. In his heart, he'd always known that was Raven, and that was the problem. Regardless of whether she was rewriting her destiny or not, she wasn't one of those girl who'd been promised a fairytale prince. That was also one of the things he'd been worried about before he asked her out. What is they fell madly in love with each other, only for his destiny to tear them apart?

He could have kissed her – Grimm knew he wanted to – but that one lingering doubt continued to turn in his stomach. If he kissed her, and it didn't work, he'd probably die of a broken heart then and there. He wanted to believe more than anything that his love was strong enough to save her, but doubt continued to plague his mind. He could never be Raven's 'Prince Charming'… Could he?

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **And there we have it! Another insanely long chapter. *sings*** _ **What can I say expect, you're welcome!**_ **XD Sorry, I also saw Moana twice… That 'Sandra Dream' bit was actually an old one-shot idea I never got around to writing, so I'm thrilled I could use it here. Absolutely massive** _ **dragon-sized**_ **thank you to Chaotic Reflections for all the extra help she gave me this chapter. :)**

 **Okay, without spoiling anything, I can tell you next chapter will be centred around Dexter and his feelings towards Raven, so you have been warned. ;) If you didn't read the top Author's note before, please go back and do it now, as it contains important information about the next update and this fic in general.**

 **Last thing before I sign out; if any of you are on PenPal World, I just signed up a couple months ago. My username is DisneyDreamer17, and my profile pic is of me with Rapunzel at Walt Disney World. I'd love to hear from you. (:**

 **That's all for now. See you over the page! :D**


	5. Prince of Destiny?

**Hello everyone! :D Long time, no chapter. Yeah, so my plan to still upload during my bridging course didn't** _ **exactly**_ **go as planned, but I'm back with another update. I want to start by saying a huge thank you to all my readers; at well over 6000 views, this fic has been my most popular story of the month for 10 months in a row since it first went up last August. You guys are happily ever awesome! (:**

 **I apologise for the long wait; this course has kept me pretty busy. But I'm happy to officially announce that on the condition that I pass all four of my units (which I'd have to get nothing on my exams not to happen), I've been ACCEPTED into my Creative Writing degree and will be starting in mid/late July! *massive fangirling* It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally almost there. Your support is a key part of what keeps me going, so I hope you all enjoy Chapter 5. :)**

 **WolfWitchHuntress1318: I was going to send you a PM, but since you don't have yours set up, I'll just make my reply here a bit longer. This is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful comments I've ever received; I'm beyond honoured to have such incredible feedback. I'll be starting my Creative Writing degree at university soon so that I can someday become a romantic novelist, and it's comments like these that keep my faith alive that I will indeed get there. "** _ **So much better than the original**_ **"? This truly made my day. Thank you so much. :D**

 **spider-bat disney princess: Eep! This comment made me so happy. :D Odette and Mérante have officially beaten Stalka out for my OTP. I already have at least 8 different Ballerina fics I want to write. Hopefully I can start posting them soon. (:  
MusicGirl456: Yay, new reviewer! :) Thank you so much for your feedback.  
LilDevyl: Awww, I'm glad you liked it so much! (:  
FireRuby: Thank you so much. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. (;  
Trekrider: Haha, yes! I did it! I turned my dad into a fanboy. XD  
Guest 1: I was hoping someone would pick up on him. All will be revealed in good time... ;)  
coronadomontes: Thank you. (:  
GiaStar: Don't worry, I will. ;)  
silverwolf: Thanks. :) I love how it turned out too.  
Guest 2: Thanks so much! :)  
MrAndersIversen: I know, thanks for being there. :)  
moonlightdreamer1: Glad you're enjoying it so much. (:  
Chaotic Reflections: See... I made sure to leave a couple of surprises for you. :) Thanks again for all your help. And don't worry, I have something special in mind for... *smirks* '** _ **good**_ **' ol' Dexter... (;  
HunterHero416: I'm glad the wait was worth it. A lot - and I mean, **_**A LOT**_ **\- of work went into tying all those elements together. It was probably the most complex piece I've ever written. As for Dexter and Raven- well, let's just say this chapter's a big one... ;)**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 5 ~ Prince of Destiny?**

Dexter remained by his beloved's side for what felt like forever, worries and doubts flowing through his mind like a never-ending stream. He loved her – there were no simpler way to say it. To him, she may as well have been the very beat of his heart and the air that allowed him to breathe, because knowing he may now have to live his life without her made him too weak to even stand. She encouraged him to do better, _be_ better. She brought out the best in him – like she did with everyone – and made him happy, truly and honestly, in a way he'd never known.

Only Darling knew it, but he'd been doing a lot of thinking since Wonderland, mainly about what it was he truly wanted, and how to deal with the looming concern of his destiny. As much as he did feel pressured to be the Charming his father wanted him to be, one word of love from her would have seen him dropping everything. He'd have gladly thrown away his destiny to be with her, and he'd been on the cusp of doing just that.

And how had fate rewarded his efforts? By stealing away his one true love…

Eventually noticing the others' unhexpressed desires to say their own farewells, Daring put a hand on Dexter's shoulder, silently helping him to his feet and leading him to the far edge of the clearing.

"Do you want us to stay with you?" Daring asked as his brother sat down on a mossy boulder.

"Not right now… I just need some time to think…" he shook his head, his sister nodding in understanding.

"We'll come check on you in a bit…" After gently kissing her twin's forehead, Darling took Daring's arm, the pair walking back to the rest of their friends.

Lost and alone in a sea of thoughts that threatened to swallow him whole, Dexter took his mirrorphone out of his pocket, his heart aching as he began looking at pictures of his beloved. Surprisingly enough, he didn't have many photos of her from before they started dating – he may have been head-over-glass-slippers, but he wasn't some obsessed stalker – but the ones he did have he'd treasure until the end of once upon a time.

One of his favourites was from the night of the Thronecoming dance. After she'd been named Thronecoming Queen, Blondie had him take Raven out into the school gardens to take some official pictures for the Thronecoming app. You wouldn't have noticed, but he couldn't help but blush seeing the way she shimmered in the moonlight, glowing like the stars that forever resided in her violet eyes. Seeing the counter-curse dahlia corsage he made her on her wrist that night, he couldn't help but regret not asking her to go to the dance with him, but hearing the warm, unhindered joy in her voice more than made up for it. As they sat together while he scanned through the pictures, he couldn't help but mention how he never took her for someone who'd care about being Thronecoming Queen, and she confided in him how it was her chance to prove she could be the same kind and benevolent ruler her father had been since taking over after her mother's banishment. In a fleeting moment of courage, he'd gently taken her hand, assuring her she didn't _need_ to prove it. He could already tell what a fableous queen she was going to be from all the good deeds she planned to perform when she came to power. The day she took the throne would be one of great joy to her people, for they'd be gaining the kindest, most passionate leader they could wish for. It was one of the many things he loved about her…

One picture in particular made him pause; this one, one that Raven had taken on their first date at the multi-hex theatre. He'd been contently watching 'Spelless in Seapple', enjoying the feeling of Raven's head resting on his shoulder, when she gently nudged his side. Looking up, he saw that she had taken her phone out of her purse, holding it in front of them with the camera open. His heart fluttering in his chest, he rested his head against hers, smiling as she took the picture. He didn't know what made her suddenly decide they should take a picture together, but he was glad they did. It wasn't until later that night as they were walking back from the Blue Moon Forest Fest that he found out it was because she couldn't _stand_ the movie any longer. At first he'd been fearful he'd ruined his chances of a second date, but she assured him she'd had a great time, quickly kissing his cheek before entering her dorm. Since then, it had fondly become something of a private joke to them, much like her 'terrible driver's skills'.

 _"Ssh, it's starting. I can't wait to see what comes next..."_

He hadn't missed her words that night, nor the true meaning behind them. It was a tender promise for the future; that any and all of their trials would now be faced together.

His broken heart clenching tighter, Dexter angrily wiped the tears from his eyes. How did it come to this? What had Raven _ever_ done to deserve such a cruel fate? Had he stood up for himself, had he challenged his parents' beliefs, had he _finally_ rebelled against those outdated traditions, maybe their story wouldn't have played out like this…

She'd once said that she could 'always count on him to come to her rescue', so where was he? He'd have gladly ran to her rescue time and time and time again, yet now when she needed him the most, he was too afraid to do something as simple as kissing her. He wished he was braver like his brother and sister; if he were even half the Charming Daring was, he wouldn't hesitate to kiss her if he knew it could save her. But that one unrelenting doubt continued to haunt him. Not being her true love would tear him to shreds, he was sure of it. The mere thought make him sick to his stomach; that and how greatly he was failing the girl he'd always loved…

Though it almost went unnoticed, a notification from MyChapter appeared at the top of his screen.

' _Humphrey Dumpty has created a new page.'_

He paid no mind to it at first, going back to his photos of the better times with Raven, but oddly enough, the drop-down notifications just kept coming, flashing by too quickly for him to make out anything more than that they were _all_ from MyChapter. Curiosity finally getting the best of him, he opened the app on his mirrorphone and froze. Once he saw what all the commotion was about, he wasn't sure whether to smile or cry, so he did both…

Somehow, despite still being trapped under the reign of the Evil Queen, Humphrey must have managed to break into the Mirror Lab and generate enough power to restore the school's MirrorNet connection. Not only that, but that 'new MyChapter page' – with its regal font and black, silver and purple colour scheme – had been lovingly created in Raven's honour, providing everyone in every realm with a place to say their goodbyes, and keep the memory of her Rebel cause alive. What struck Dexter most was the page avatar; a beautifully rendered, digitally designed image of the Storybook of Legends, the pink reflective oval on the front cover cracked and disfigured like the shards of a broken mirror. Something so small, yet there was no better way Humphrey could have showcased everything Raven stood for.

The page had only been up a few minutes, but already it was flooded with posts from students unable to escape the night before, all to pay their respects in the wake of Raven's poisoning.

' _Duchess Swan: You were a true inspiration Raven. Sorry for everything…'_

' _Kitty Cheshire: Thanks 4 making EAH a little more chaotic, and a little more like home. :X3 '_

' _Una Blue: A voice is life's most precious gift. Thank you for giving the silent a chance to speak...'_

Post after post flew by, just long enough for him to catch a glance at the various names that appeared on the screen of his mirrorphone. Everyone from Royals to Rebels, heroes to damsels, fairytale legends to your average person on the street; all of them – some people he didn't even know – taking a few precious moments to pour out their respect and adoration for the girl that altered the very course of destiny.

Dexter's melancholy heart throbbed in his chest, more tears leaking from his eyes. This was all he'd ever wanted for Raven – for the world to finally see everything _he'd_ seen in her since that very first day she walked into his life. Behind the dark magic and the villainous destiny and the Evil Queen's blood that pumped through her body, she had a heart as pure as the cleanest crystal; a heart willing to face the brunt of people's judgements and rejection to save those – much like herself – unhappy with the paths they had yet to follow, battling the ever-present scorn to buy them time to steer off-course and discover who they were before their fates were set in stone. After all this time, his Raven was _finally_ getting the praise and recognition she'd been deprived of for so long, and she might not even get to see how big a difference she'd truly made…

Daring and Darling, who had since moved away from the rest of their classmates, shared a concerned look from where they stood on the sidelines. Giving each other a brief nod, they made their way back over to Dexter, silently wishing there were something they could do.

"Hey little bro…" Daring greeted softly, as if talking to a skittish fawn that would flee at any given moment. He and Darling sat on either side of their heartbroken brother, before he casually nodded to the phone in his hand, "What are you looking at?"

"Humphrey made a MyChapter page for Raven. You know, for people to… well…" Dexter sighed, unable to finish the sentence, before switching off his mirrorphone and stuffing it back into his pocket.

Darling gently took her twin's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "It's time to turn the page, brother. I know it seems hopeless, but Raven _is_ still breathing… There's still time to break the curse, and if anyone can wake her, it's you. You _love_ her…"

"And, if that's not enough?" Dexter asked brokenly, catching his sister off-guard. "Yes, I love Raven, but that doesn't change the fact everyone's hexpecting me to be Prince Charming. Deep down inside, I've always hoped there was a chance for us, but if she doesn't feel the same…"

Dexter's words stirred a sigh from his older brother, who hesitantly forced himself to speak, "Dexter, this is going to sound harsh to start with but _please_ , just hear me out…"

"Daring, if you're planning on giving me a speech on how I should be more like you-"

"Dexter, trust me; that's the _last_ thing I want you to do," Daring abruptly cut him off, earning him a quizzical look from his little brother. This was his chance to be that big brother again. He knew the point he wanted to make, but there was a lot of heavy stuff he had to wade through first or the sentiment would be lost. He could only hope his overall meaning would soften the blows that came before.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Daring began to speak, "Look, I know you love Raven, but if you want to save her, you _have_ to stop trying to be something you're _not_. You're neither bold nor confident, you lack precision, you're _hardly_ athletic, and your attempts at charming damsels are nothing less than _painful_. I've been hoping for a while now it was just a sincerity thing; that when the time came for you to rescue your princess, it would just come out on its own. But I realise now it's just _not_ going to happen. You're _far_ from the traditional ' _Charming_ ' image I was brought up with, and in this case, it's probably a good thing. We may have the freedom to re-write our destinies, but some things _can't_ be changed. Raven Queen doesn't have a 'Prince Charming', and she never _will_."

Dexter hung his head in sorrow, clearly hurt by his brother's bluntness. Daring certainly wasn't kidding about ' _sounding harsh_ '. Darling on the other hand was practically _fuming_ , shocked by Daring's insensitivity. Eyes narrow, she prepared to scold him, but was promptly silenced by what he said next…

"But she does have a _king_. A king known not by the size of his strength, but… but by the strength of his _heart_. A king with the wisdom to see people in a way no one else can. And most importantly, a king who can stare _straight_ into the face of darkness, and _still_ manage to find the light… I've met hundreds of princes over the years, and I only know _one_ who can see _that_ clearly…"

Dexter slowly straightened, trying to process what he'd just heard, and turned to his brother with wide eyes, "Daring…?"

The faintest smile tugged at Daring's lips, knowing his meaning had been understood. "Turns out your perfect princess _isn't_ some damsel-in-distress waiting around for you to save her. She's a _queen_ ; one both ready, and _willing_ to fight by your side…"

He couldn't say for certain what it was, but something caused his brother to break down in tears. Instinct taking over, Daring hugged him tightly, pretending not to notice the way he held back. But to his bittersweet relief, Dexter returned it a moment later, resting his head on his shoulder as he wept.

As for their sister, Darling could only sit with a hand over her mouth at Daring's words, suddenly realising he was right. All those years in which she'd watched Dexter struggle to meet their brother's image, only to fall short every time. All those countless accounts of their father scolding his 'un-Charming' behaviour, stooping so low as to ' _secretly_ ' hexpress to his wife his hopes that Dexter would become the next 'Beast' in Rosabella's destiny, sparing him from needing to actually rescue anyone _himself_. All those _tasteless_ remarks around school she'd prayed slipped past her twin's ears instead of into them. Through it all, it was _never_ after a case of him not being good enough; he'd simply been striving for the _wrong_ destiny! One – she finally realised – had shone through from the moment Raven magically appeared in his life…

Once Dexter's sobs had quietened to nothing more than soft, uneven breaths, Daring pulled back, looking his brother straight in the eye, "You might not be Raven's 'Prince Charming', but that doesn't mean you can't be her king. All you have to do is kiss her. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Of course I _want_ to try and wake her. It's just-" Dexter paused, sighing softly. "I know it sounds stupid-"

"It doesn't sound stupid Dexter…" his brother interrupted, returning a hand to his shoulder. "I get that you're scared. I'd be lost if I found out I wasn't Apple's prince. But sometimes, if you _really_ love someone, you have to just- take a chance and let fate do the rest. And hey, if it makes you feel better, I'm confident that if your 'destined princess' really is a queen, then she's lying right there waiting for you…"

A fond smile graced Darling's lips, as she gently placed her hands over her heart. It'd been forever after since she'd seen her big brother like this – not since their father had started putting pressure on him to live up to his legacy – but in that moment, it was like no time had passed at all.

Dexter smiled too, pushing up his glasses as he wiped away the last of his tears, "Thanks for being here Daring…"

"I always have been, little bro. I'm sorry I hadn't been letting you know that. From now on, don't think for a moment you can't come to me…" he assured him, lightly ruffling his hair.

Dexter chuckled a little, smoothing his hair back, "Ok…"

Daring and Darling hugged him tightly, like the filling of some kind of 'Charming sandwich', but he wouldn't have had it any other way. It in no way numbed the pain that still resided in his heart, but simply knowing he wasn't alone made the world of difference…

" _ **RAVEN!**_ "

Apple's frightened cry pierced the air, bringing the clearing to a standstill. Instantly placing the shrill scream, Dexter bolted to his feet, nearly bowling his siblings over. As the three rushed over to re-join their fellow students, they watched on at the fearsome scene unfolding before them. Apple backed away from the open coffin, eyes wide with horror as thick wisps of dark magic danced menacingly over Raven's pale skin, causing the unconscious girl to writhe in pain.

"What's happening?" Daring asked, though he didn't hexpect to get an answer.

"Her mother's magic; it's attacking her," Darling stated in response, sharing his concern.

As if on que, Raven bolted upright, the rose bouquet tumbling out of her arms; yet she was a far cry from the girl they knew and loved. Her breathing was ragged and her body seemed to shake with fear, her once beautiful amethyst irises now the same ominous magenta as her mother's magic. Then, her eyes rolling back, she passed out just as suddenly as she'd come to, once more sending Apple into hysterics.

Standing next to Ashlynn, Hunter turned and motioned urgently to the leather-clad Rebel behind him, "Sparrow!"

"On it," Sparrow nodded, immediately catching his meaning. They might be rivals more than they were friends, but they had to admit they did work well together. Running to the front of the crowd, they each took Apple by the arm, struggling to drag her away from Raven as she thrashed and wailed in their grasp like an angry cat.

With Apple out the way, Ashlynn put her ear to Raven's chest, leaping back in alarm, "She's not breathing!"

"Someone do something!"

It was at the moment Dexter felt something he couldn't recall having felt any other time in his life – like some unforeseen force calling to him from the depth of his soul – and instantly he knew. He _was_ Raven's king, and she his true love. All of this was fate weaving the fabric of their love story with its masterful hands, shaping each detail to be so perfectly _them_. It didn't matter who they were or what people would say. They were real. _This_ was real. This was _destiny_ …

All doubts forgotten, Dexter pushed through the anxious crowd, and ran to his dear one's failing form as fast as his legs could carry him. Paying no heed to the 20 pairs of eyes watching his every move, he knelt beside Raven's open coffin, doing the only thing he could think of…

He kissed her.

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 ***ducks for cover as everyone throws screens at me* I know! I know! This probably seems like the cruellest cliffhanger possible. But trust me, you'll see next chapter that I could've made it much, much worse… Anyway, thanks once again to Chaotic Reflections for her help with the start of this chapter. :)**

 **Ok, here's what you need to know for Chapter 6. I have three exams in total to complete my UniReady course. The two most important ones – Humanities and Academic Writing – both take place on June 15th (aka my mum's birthday), and I've got a lot of studying I need to do for them. After that, I have my final exam on June 20th for Maths, but we're allowed to bring a page of notes so that should be fine. Therefore, I will NOT be starting the next chapter any earlier than the 22nd. That being said, since I won't have any course stuff to worry about, I should be able to spend more time on it.**

 **Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter. See you over the page! ;)**


	6. Important! Please read

**I'm sorry, I really didn't want to have to do this, but I'm afraid I'm left with no choice. I received a guest review tonight that really upset me. I'm sure it wasn't meant the way it came across (probably just poorly worded), but I get a lot of comments like this and it's so hard repeating myself time and time again.**

 **So, here it is:**

 _ **I've lost my mum.**_

 _ **She may still be alive, but I've lost her forever,  
and it hurts more than you can imagine.**_

 **I won't go into detail about it here because I've already written about it at length in the author's notes for next chapter, but we now know with 100% certainty that she's not going to get better. I turn 20 soon, and I shouldn't be even** _ **thinking**_ **about it yet, but I can't help but ponder how there's all-too-much of a chance that she won't be able to help me plan my wedding, or keep me strong when it gets hard, or even completely remember my kids' names. I never knew until now that you can say 'I miss you' to someone who's right in front of you…**

 **I love you guys. Through all the pain and stress and heartache I go through, your encouragement lifts me up more than I can put into words. I dare say that if it weren't for you and all my other readers, I would've given up writing a long time ago. But I'm** _ **here**_ **– doing my dream course, and with an epic concept in mind for what will hopefully be my very first book – because of each and every one of you.**

 **Chapter 6 is almost finished, so please,** _ **please**_ **try to be patient with me. When I post a chapter, I want to do so knowing I've put all the time and care into it that you all deserve. You do so much for me; it's only fair that I give you nothing but my best work, and good work does take time. But you're worth it. All 3000+ of you…**

 **With love,**

 **Tangled4ever**


	7. Fate Be Changed

**Oh my goodness… I have no words. I posted that message because I was concerned that people weren't reading the Author's notes I've left in previous chapters, and since then I've been** _ **flooded**_ **with both reviews** _ **and**_ **PMs of love and support from my readers. So many of you reached out to me in my time of need and I couldn't be more grateful. Not only that, but for the very first time, this fic has hit a total of over 100 favourites, putting it in the Top 10 of the entire archive. So to all of you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And hey, we're here; this is the big one. Will Dexter's kiss work? *sing-song voice* Hope you bought your tickets for the feels train. (;**

 **Ok, ok, you'll find out in a minute, but there are a few things we need to go over first. First off, my mum. As you would know from that message I posted, I make no secret to my readers that updates depend heavily on my mum's condition, which has grown significantly** _ **worse**_ **the last 6 months. She was recently admitted to hospital for a couple weeks, and we now know that on top of the Parkinson's, she also has severe shrinkage at the back of the brain. This will either stay the same or continue to get worse, but either way, it cannot be undone. We're currently waiting to see if our application to this new care-scheme in our area gets hexcepted, but for now, it's still up to us.**

 **On a more positive note,**

 _ **GUESS WHO'S NOW A UNI GIRL! :D**_

 **Boo-yah! That's right fairytales, I passed my bridging course! I am now** _ **officially**_ **a student at Curtin University, and am doing a double major in Creative Writing, and Professional Writing and Publishing. I'm so hexcited; one of my units for this semester even** _ **has**_ **a week about fanfiction. XD But yes, this will also keep me busy. Thankfully I'm a bit more organised this time.**

 **Well, I think I've rambled long enough. Normally I do review replies here but that would take an entire page. So to everyone who commented, you're hat-tastic. :) On to the chapter!**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains MAJOR FEELS! Even** _ **I**_ **cried in the process of writing this, and I know how it ends. If you came even close to tears during Chapters 4 or 5, keep tissues handy.**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 6 ~ Fate Be Changed**

Everything vanished in that moment, grinding to a halt as he pulled away from her stone cold lips. Years could've passed and he wouldn't have noticed, his desperate heart failing to see the hands of time whirling by in the blink of an eye. Not that any of it mattered. She had been – and always would be – his forever after; a brilliant light that couldn't be snuffed out, no matter how the dark winds howled. Oblivious to the rest of the world, Dexter watched her face intensely as he waited for her eyes to open, revealing once more the perfect violet orbs he loved so much.

Finally, a broken, gut-wrenching sob pulled him back to his cruel reality, and he watched from the corner of his tear-filled eyes as Apple fell to her knees and wept, no longer able to bare the weight her own fractured heart. Many of their classmates looked between themselves, wearing their own looks of sorrow.

"I… I don't understand…" Daring muttered to himself. He, like everyone, had been certain Dexter's kiss would be Raven's saving grace. And if his kiss couldn't wake her, he didn't know what could…

"Oh Daring…" Darling gave a shaky sob, turning to her older brother. Taking her in his arms, he held her close as she cried, just barely restraining tears of his own.

His movements slow and tender, Dexter lightly took her limp hand and placed it on his chest, tears spilling down his face as his heart once again plunged into a state of inconsolable grief. After all, what _else_ could it do? Though broken and bleeding, it still held _gallons_ of unspent love meant for his dear one, and what _is_ grief, if not love with nowhere else to go?

Somewhere inside, he knew Raven would want him to go on; find happiness some other way, and reclaim the happy ending her mother had stolen from them both. But he also knew that even while shattered beyond recognition, his heart would continue to beat the rhythm of her name. He'd do _anything_ to bring her back, even if it meant seeing himself living out a random destiny, unhappily tied to some pre-determined princess as he watched Raven from afar, his heart pining to steal one last moment alone with her. Any fate – no matter how dark or how tragic – would be better than this happily _never_ after…

And yet, in spite of the unrelenting agony, he could feel his faith in their love flickering in stubborn protest; like the flame of a candle that continued to glow even whilst _drowning_ in its own wax, determined to fight until its dying breath.

"No… No, you can't- you can't leave me like this. Don't give up on me. On _us_ … You're everything to me Raven; you've _always_ been everything to me. You're everything I think, everything I feel… The moment we met, I _knew_ you were the only one out there for me. I _love_ you; I had so many chances to say it but I didn't, and I regret it more than anything ever after…"

By now, Dexter's whole body was shaking with emotion, the bottle that had so long beared the true hextent of his feelings finally cracking under the pressure. But what he and many others failed to notice, was the faint tremor of Raven's free hand as it lay weakly by her side, an unforeseen magic bubbling beneath the surface.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me. I promise, if you'd _just_ wake up, I'd _never_ ever after leave you alone again. Please Raven… please don't leave me…" Taking her in his arms, Dexter held her frail form as securely as possible, then leant down to her ear and whispered, "I need you, Raven Evie Queen…"

Oh, how bittersweet it felt, to say her complete name like that… He was the only one outside of her own parents that knew it to begin with; one perfect moment from the last date they went on, the last time he _almost_ told her he loved her, the last time he chickened out…

" _Tell me something you've never told anyone..."_

 _Raven laughed a little at his request, giving his an amused smile, "Why?"_

 _Mustering up his courage, he gently took her hand in his, shyly smiling back at her, "I want to know something about you no one else at school knows."_

 _Raven blushed, turning away in thought. Then, after a minute, she heaved an uneasy sigh, "Promise you won't tell anyone?"_

" _I promise."_

" _Ok... My middle name, is Evie."_

" _Evie..." he smiled, testing the name on his lips. "It's beautiful. Why don't you use it?"_

 _She blushed a little more, shrugging a shoulder, "Well, it's pretty obvious why Mum chose it. Raven_ _ **Evie**_ _Queen._ _ **Evil**_ _Queen… I didn't need another reason to be labelled as her."_

 _He nodded in response, "Well, Evie also means 'life', and you have more life than anyone I've ever known..."_

 _Another blush. "Hey Dexter?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _I like hearing you say it..."_

Dexter lingered by her cheek a moment longer, then gently pressed his lips to her pale face, a single tear falling on her cheek as he wept. But as he held her, a cold shiver trailed up his arms, then ran down his spine. Confused, he looked up, and found a sight that strangely filled him with both hope and despair. Dark magic seeped from her lifeless body, then rippled with surprising force across the clearing with a ghostly cry, like shadows scrambling from a newfound light. As the others took a moment to steady themselves, Dexter's eyes remained solely focused on his sweetheart's face, waiting for that last crucial sign. Only this time, he wasn't disappointed.

Raven's eyes burst open, her trembling form desperate for air. Cheers replaced the empty silence, but to Dexter, something still felt wrong. The curse may be broken, but the Raven he loved was somewhere far far away from the safe, secluded clearing. Irises still the same haunting shade of magenta, her eyes were wide with fear and they darted in all directions, as if searching for something that wasn't there. Apple briefly thought of something her mother said once – how accepting the poisoned fruit meant being dragged into a deep, troubled sleep filled only with one's worst fears – and shivered in regret. If that were true, it was little wonder what that meant for Raven.

As fate would have it, Apple wasn't far off, for Raven's cursed sleep came to pass in a world of fire, her hands powerless and chained to a prison floor, as she was force to watch through the eyes of her darkest self as she hurt and destroyed all that she loved. But now, through the sea of magenta flames, she could just make out a vivid royal blue, calling her back from the fiery abyss.

Raven blinked a few times, her eyes transitioning back to their usual amethyst colour as the haze that clouded her vision faded away, "Dex?"

Relief washed over him like a summer breeze, sweeping away the remnants of the storm that had passed. His eyes stung with tears – not of pain, but of the purest joy – as the shattered fragments that until now had pierced at his chest began to sew themselves back together, the mended jewel that was his heart glowing anew.

"Oh Raven…" Dexter drew her nearer to his chest, daring fate to even _try_ a take her now. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

The ground beneath her seemed to shift, regardless to the fact she had yet to even attempt moving. "What… What happened…?"

"Faybelle," Apple interjected. "She tried to poison me to prove herself to your mother. Somehow you got caught in the crossfire."

Raven felt the world settle around her as clarity returned, brushing off her dusted memories, "The last thing I remember was biting that apple, then…"

She said nothing more, and they could see from the look on her face that she was putting the pieces together. Her confused hexpression slowly gave way to one of hopeful surprise, her lips stretching into a soft smile, "Dexter… It was you?"

Dexter didn't even try to hide his blush, too overcome with joyous relief to care, replying shyly, "Yeah… Yes, it was me who-"

Smiling tearfully, Raven grasped the collar of his jacket as tightly has her weakened body would allow and pulled herself up to kiss him, cutting him off mid-sentence. Dexter froze in momentary surprise, before melting into the kiss, ignoring the collective ' _aww_ ' of their friends. Once cold and distant, her raspberry lips were now warm and soft as rose petals, that spellbindingly familiar scent of cinnamon clove filling his senses. Despite being someone normally so awkward in public view, he pridelessly let the last of his tears roll down his cheek, strangely comfortable letting the world see the vast depths of his true emotions for the girl in his arms.

Darling wiped a tear from her cheek, gently squeezing her big brother's hand, "You were right. He found himself right when he needed to…"

"It's more than that," Daring smiled fondly, his eyes never leaving their brother (and future sister-in-law of course). "Rushing in and kissing her as she takes her final breath; that's so much something a _Charming_ would do. Just being himself, and telling her how he _truly_ feels… That's what brought her back."

Oblivious to the rest of the world, Raven reluctantly pulled back from their first _actual_ kiss, blushing as she gazed past his wide rim glasses and deep into his charming blue eyes, getting lost in the process. That is, until one crucial concern entered her mind, "Wait, where _is_ my mother?"

Dexter's and everyone else's hexpressions dropped upon hearing that question. No one wanted to be the one to answer it, but Dexter took it upon himself to do so. "She's still got control of the school. A few of us managed to escape last night, but everyone else is still trapped."

"No… I have to help them. I have to help our friends, and defeat my mother." Swinging her legs round, Raven leapt to her feet, but suddenly became aware of just how much of her strength had been drained. Coming over faint, she placed a hand on her forehead, before falling back once more.

Reflexes surprisingly sharp (for once), Dexter caught her as she fell, carefully scooping her into his arms, "Raven, there's no way you can face her like this. You don't have the strength."

"But-"

"Let _us_ take care of your mother," he insisted, gently lying her back down on her coffin. "Right now, you need rest."

Raven groaned softly, fatigue finally taking over, "Dex? Will you stay with me?"

"Always…" he smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

Smiling weakly in response, Raven allowed her eyes to shut, falling into a peaceful sleep.

Apple smiled for a moment, then turned to their fellow students, calm and collected as she called them to action. "We have to send the Evil Queen back to where she belongs for poisoning Raven. Please, help me fight back."

"But how?" Cedar asked, yet again the first to face the harsh truth. "I cannot tell a lie, and she totally has the advantage."

"We have dragons, we have the booking glass; we just need the passcode."

"But we don't know a passcode. Can't Raven do something?" Holly asked, Poppy adding, "Yeah, unlock it with magic!"

Dexter shook his head as he walked over to join them, "Raven just woke up from her sleeping curse; there's no way she'd have the energy for a spell like that."

"Even if she did, my mother once told me the booking glass is shielded by dark fairy magic. She can't crack it," Apple confirmed. "We'll have to find another way."

"Look Apple, no one wants to see the back of that women more than us." Darling gestured to herself and her brothers (though mostly to Dexter), holding the booking glass. "But it's not like we can just _guess_ the combination. Daring just got lucky when he got captured."

"' _Lucky_ '?" Daring, boastful as ever, gave an indifferent shrug, playing it off as if he knew what he was doing the entire time. "I wouldn't put it that way…"

"I would!"

A dark shadow swept the forest floor, timed perfectly with a familiar roar. Trees shook as Legend lowered herself to the ground, shedding their leaves under the tremendous might of her powerful wingbeats. Her talons sunk into the grass as she landed heavily, students gasping upon seeing Faybelle on her back.

As the dragon steadied herself, Faybelle watched the faces of her classmates shift from confusion to distrust. In spite of her previous cocky remark, she was genuinely nervous. After everything that had happened the past few hours, they had every right to throw her at the mercy of Raven's mother (not that she believed they actually _would_ ). Releasing the breath she hadn't realised she was holding, she flew down to meet the others.

"You've got some nerve showing your face around here after what you did," Dexter snarled, his siblings and a few of their friends shocked by the uncharacteristic aggression in his voice.

"Dexter's right. Raven almost _died_ because of you," Apple continued as she crossed her arms, drawing even more surprised looks as she strode towards the fairy. "You better have a good reason for being here, Faybelle."

Faybelle could only look down in regret. Needless to say, she hadn't been hexpecting a warm welcome, but she hadn't predicted quite this much scorn. Raven's outright disregard for her destiny didn't seem quite so far-fetched anymore…

Feeling Legend give her a supportive nudge, the young fairy took a deep breath, then looked straight in the eyes of the prince and princess, "I came to apologise…"

Dexter's face softened, but Apple remained cynical. "Really? _You_ , apologise? You can barely even _say_ the word 'sorry'."

"I guess I was afraid people didn't take me seriously as a future villain, or maybe just jealous of all the attention Raven gets, and somehow thought helping the Evil Queen would get me bonus points. I should have known she was just using me to do her dirty work…" Faybelle confessed, rubbing her arm. "When Raven's mother told me to poison Apple, I didn't see the harm in it because everyone knew Apple _wanted_ to follow her destiny and Raven didn't. I thought it was a win-win for everyone; I didn't mean for anyone to _actually_ get hurt…"

Though most of the others remained cynical, Rosabella couldn't help but share a smile with Dexter. She'd known, all along, that a slither of good resided in Faybelle's heart, and now – if only for a moment – that goodness was finally shining through.

"I know I've given you no reason to trust me, but if you'll give me just one more chance, I promise I'll help you take her down. She won't be as tough without Faybelle in her corner…"

Darling, still slightly skeptical, cast a glance at Apple, who sighed and nodded in approval. In truth, both were silently praying they wouldn't come to regret this crazy trust exercise, but if Raven had taught them anything, it was that you can't judge a girl by her destiny. So, pushing her doubts aside, Darling handed the booking glass to Faybelle.

Faybelle – somewhat surprised they were actually giving her a second chance – offered her a rare genuine smile. Taking a couple steps back, she pushed herself off the ground, chanting a spell like a cheer-hexing routine, " _One, two, three, four; that booking glass is locked no more!_ "

The booking glass was immediately encased in a flash of purple light, signalling Faybelle's success.

"What shall I capture?" the young fairy mused as she returned to the ground, eyes lighting with mischief upon landing on Sparrow. "Hmm, how 'bout… a sandwich."

Holding up the booking glass in his direction, she watched with a smirk as a beam of green light 'captured' the sandwich out of his hands just as he was about to eat it, earning her a sour look from the leather-clad Rebel. "Hey!"

Dexter and his brother shared a small laugh, before Daring gave him a light nudge, "I take it you're staying here?"

"Yeah. I need to be here when Raven wakes up."

"You look after your queen; we'll handle your future villain-in-law."

Dexter chuckled, punching his arm in a playful manner. It had been forever after since they were like this, yet surprisingly easy to slip back into. "Get out of here."

Daring clapped a brotherly hand to his shoulder, before jogging over to the others. Taking the booking glass back from Faybelle, Darling turned to their teenage resistance, "What are you waiting for people?"

"Dragon up!"

With that determined shout from Apple, everyone raced to where the dragons had been stabled. But before they were out of earshot, Dexter clearly heard Daring's voice echo through the crowd, shouting two words that – along with the spirited cheer the followed – filled him with more pride and joy than he'd ever known…

"For Raven!"

Dexter smiled as he knelt beside Raven's coffin, tucking a stray lock of violet hair behind her ear. After all this time, all the heartache and all the tears, she could finally reap the rewards of everything she'd fought for. The days of hexpectations and inescapable pre-written destinies were finally drawing to a close, welcoming in a new chapter for everyone's stories, and a brand new era in the history of Ever After High.

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **See… I told you I could have been much meaner with last chapter's cliffhanger. Imagine how infuriating it would have been if I ended it with her not waking up. (; But yeah, it was pretty obvious Dexter would be the one to wake her up, so I had to give it something to add a little more suspense. Honestly, I'm not** _ **completely**_ **happy with how the 'Raven waking up' part turned out, but that's probably just my Creative Writing lessons making me overthink everything.**

 **Anyway, that's the last of the feels for a little bit. Time to take back the school! I've made a start on Chapter 7, but again, no promises when I'll upload it.**

 **As always, can't wait to see what you think; you guys are the greatest. See you over the page! :)**


	8. White Knights to Black Queen

**I'm back! :D Well, a lot's been happening the last few months, but my first semester of uni is finally over with the hexception of one deferred assessment, which means I'm off until the end of February. Better yet, we finally got Mum's care package sorted out. So that's 16 hours a week where I don't have to run round after Mum, plus 5 days respite in February and July. I'm aiming to get this fic finished before I go back next semester, but I'm not going to push myself.**

 **Okay fairytales, the time has come to put the Evil Queen back where she belongs – the Mirror Realm. I've got villain music, I've got Dragon Games clips for reference, it's night time (my personal favourite time for writing) and I'm in a writing mood; looks like I'm good to go. (;**

 **coronadomontes: Thank you. (:  
moonlightdreamer1: Words have power; no disputing that. Makes me wish I knew what was in that poem Dexter wrote her for True Hearts Day. ;)  
Meiyo12: Wow, thank you so much! :D Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one.  
Misskinny: Awww, thank you. (: Glad you like it.  
RavenJoker: Don't worry, I think a showdown sounds reasonable. (;  
Guest 1: *takes a bow* Thank you dear reviewer. ;)  
Guest 2: One new chapter, up and ready. (:  
fringeperson: Thank you, thank you, and haha, yes. XD  
HunterHero416: Thank you for the congratulations, as well as with Mum. And yes, Raven is Dexter's true love, but of course we already knew that. ;) I figured since everyone already knew she was going to wake up, I needed to add to the suspense just a little, plus I wanted to have that dialogue for Dexter. I'm glad you liked it.  
silverwolf: That's so sweet. Thanks so much. (:  
FireRuby: Happy to hear the extra work payed off. (: Raven's middle name actually comes from Evie in Disney's Descendants, and yes, having Dexter keep it as their secret even after her 'death' felt really special. As for the Evil Queen, all will be revealed this chapter.  
nebula-twice-kill: Hopefully this is soon enough. ;)  
MysticQueen: Thank you for your sympathy, and I'm sorry about your brother. I hope things get easier for him.  
MusicGirl456: Thank you so much; reviews like these really do make all the difference. (:  
milkchocolatehot64: Luckily there's more where that came from. ;)  
Trekrider: Thank you. :)  
obsessive360: I was thinking the same thing – another reason why I had the first kiss fail, and I dare say it came out nicely. ;) I've actually never seen Maleficent in full, just bits and pieces of it, but that scene was really sweet. Plus it has Elle Fanning who starts in one of my two all-time favourite movies (that being Ballerina). But yes, it's great to see Dexter finally turn the page. Hopefully this chapter does him justice as well.  
MrAndersIversen: Like always, happy to have a review from my most loyal reader. Thank you so much. (:  
chica-flick: The wait is over, my friend. On to Chapter 7! :D**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 7 ~ White Knights to Black Queen**

The flight back to Ever After High was, for the most part, a quiet one. So much had happened in such a small amount of time, and the sleep- and caffeine-deprived teens were all desperate for some well-deserved shut-eye.

Luckily for them, their dragons were far more alert. Leading the pack was Braebyrn, with Apple at the reins and Faybelle safely behind her. Herowing and Crumpets were hot on their sister's tail, carrying Darling and Cerise, and Ashlynn and Maddie respectively. As the sole male of the flock, Prince of Scales – who was carrying Holly and Lizzie – took it upon himself to safeguard the group from the side, while Brushfire, Poppy and Cedar did the same. Deejay flew nearer the back with Melody and Blondie, who was frantically preparing for a mid-air, live broadcast, while Legend – their ever doting mother – bought up the rear, Daring, Hunter and Sparrow perched on her back.

After quite some time, the tensing silence was broken by Ashlynn. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to see Ever After High like it is now…"

Poppy nodded in agreement, "Me neither, but we're its only hope now."

"Maddie, anything in your purse we can use?" Apple asked, causing the Mad Hatter's daughter to clap in excitement.

"Tea-rrific! Let me check." Grabbing her bottomless purse from her pocket, Maddie began to pull out a variety of random objects and heedlessly tossed them over her shoulder, throwing in a "no", "nope" or "nu-ugh" for good measure with each one. Meanwhile of course, the others could only yelp in surprise, frantically steering their dragons away from the flying projectiles.

"Maddie, you need to work on your aim!" Hunter shouted, his point only proven as a metal pot came hurtling towards his head.

Daring _just_ managed to grab the pot's handle, before staring at the object in complete bewilderment, "And I'm pretty sure Apple said things we can _use_!"

"You know, that would actually make a pretty decent helmet…" Blondie pointed out as she finished strapping her mirrorpad to Melody's back. "Daring, may I?"

Daring just chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement, but tossed it to her nonetheless.

"Ok…" Maddie rummaged around in her purse again, this time pulling out a fire extinguisher, "Oh, how about this?"

"Now _that's_ more like it," Darling smiled, her eyes glowing with confidence. Maddie beamed in response, then quickly put it back in her purse for safe keeping.

"There it is!" Ashlynn called out to the others, pointing ahead. "I see the school."

Sure enough, they had drawn close enough now to see the dark silhouette of their former high school. For those who had not yet seen the Evil Queen at her worst, the sight was distressing at best, and with every ghastly detail that emerged from the mist, they became ever clearer of the task at hand.

"It's now or never after… Good luck, guys." Apple gave the others a small, encouraging smile before facing ahead once more, then added softly enough for only herself to hear, "We're gonna need it…"

* * *

Snow White wasn't sure how much time had passed since Apple's eulogy, but she was certain of one thing; the Evil Queen was taking an _alarmingly_ long time to react. Ever since Blondie's broadcast had finished, the greatest villain ever after had simply stood at the entrance to her lair, staring ominously into the distance. No raging fires, no mighty spells, not even a single word…

Snow knew her well enough to know that that could only mean she was hatching her most evil plan yet. She herself had no idea how to stop her, but knew that no one else was coming, so she had to at least try.

"Ebony…?"

The Evil Queen tensed, unfamiliar with the sound of her rarely used name, and snapped at the reptile over her shoulder, " _ **What?**_ Can't you _see_ I'm scheming?"

"Yes, I can see that." The Evil Queen made no further effort to speak, so Snow continued, "Listen, I know you're hurting, and I know we were always destined to be rivals. But we're also _mothers_ ; mothers who _love_ their children…"

Those words were reckless and foolish, but they seemed to seep in. From her glass prison – her second, she might add – Snow White clearly saw her rival's shoulders drop, as though she were seriously thinking about what she'd heard. Saying anything more was a risk in itself, but for the sake of her people, it was worth taking; to _finally_ step up, and be a _true_ queen.

"Vengeance _isn't_ the answer you're looking for. Please Ebony, don't let everything Raven fought for be in vain. Deep down in your heart, you _know_ this wouldn't make her happy…"

The Evil Queen straightened, her body once more sharp and rigid, and Snow instantly knew she'd pushed too far. Turning round, the sorceress stormed towards the glass case, her dark eyes ablaze with cold fire. " _Nothing_ will make her happy. You know why? Because _she's_ _ **DEAD!**_ "

Angry flames of magic erupted from her dark form, pushing her thirst for vengeance through the crumbled ceiling. Before Snow could register what was happening, the snake's body she was trapped in was dragged from its case and levitated above the ground, eyes level with those of the Evil Queen.

But before the sorceress could make her next move, the roar of approaching dragons echoed in the distance. Sure enough, Legend and her uncursed offspring emerged from the clouds, each dawning a pair of riders. Her narrowed eyes immediately fell on Faybelle, who had somehow managed to trick her in her state of grief, further fuelling her anguish. But as fate would have it, the fairy took a backseat – literally – to someone else; someone far more deserving of her wrath.

"Apple…" she breathed in a haunting whisper, subconsciously dropping the royal reptile.

Snow White yelped as she hit the ground, momentarily stunned. Shaking her head, Snow untangled herself from her messy coil, looking up at her rival in fear, "Ebony? What are you doing?"

"If I can't have _my_ daughter, then neither will _you!_ "

Levitating her once more, the Evil Queen threw her across the room, watching in sadistic pleasure as the white snake slammed into the wall. Then, transforming her dress back to her dragon attire, she ran down the landing platform, jumping on Jinx's back as she flew past. Noticing their mistress, the remaining dark dragons abandoned their posts on the roof, flocking behind her as she waited for battle.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Darling instructed, casting a glance at the rest of the group as they neared the school, "Apple has to get as close to the Evil Queen as she can. Let's cover her back, and make sure she gets there. Hang on to your crowns!"

Snapping Herowing's reins, she flew to the front of the pack, her heart pounding as the dark dragons dove towards them. For a brief moment, Darling's eyes locked with the Evil Queen's, as their dragons fired simultaneous blasts – of ice and magenta fire respectively – at each other. White light flashed across the sky as the elements collided, the already dense cloud-cover thickening from the bellowing smoke.

* * *

The clearing had grown eerily quiet since the others' departure; never after more than the distant, thunderous echoes of dragons at war, in an otherwise unbroken silence. Dexter remained by Raven's side, allowing her now peaceful slumber to distract him for the knowledge that his brother and twin sister were part of that distant battle. A small part of him hexpected to feel guilty for not fighting with them, but no regret managed to take root in his chest. For perhaps the first time in his life, he knew where he needed to be, and he wouldn't allow anyone – not even himself – to sway him otherwise.

After seeing the rest of their peers off into battle, the few remaining students had returned to the clearing, and were now huddled around Jillian's mirrorpad with the Woodland pixies, waiting for Blondie to start filming. Well, most of them were anyway…

Dexter's thoughts were broken by a hand resting on his shoulder, and he turned to see Briar and Rosabella standing behind him.

"How's she doing?" Sleeping Beauty's daughter asked, lightly hugging his shoulders.

"She seems a lot more peaceful now, but I guess we won't know for sure until she wakes up."

"She'll be fine, Dexter," Rosabella assured him. "Raven's nothing if not a fighter."

Dexter smiled at her words. Of course he already knew all that, but hearing someone else say it put his mind at ease. "Thank you."

Before either Beauty could speak, Raven stirred in her sleep, heavy eyelids growing lighter as she woke. Unlike before, there was no trace of fear or despair in her violet eyes; only the shimmer of love and light he was used to.

Dexter sighed in relief, then bent down to kiss her forehead, "Hey beautiful… Feeling better?"

"I think so…" Raven sat up slowly, groaning a little as the blood rushed from her head. The feeling vanished as suddenly as it appeared, and she easily got to her feet to stand beside her prince. "Where are the others?"

"At school," Dexter hexplained. "Faybelle showed up with Legend after you fell asleep and unlocked the booking glass for us."

"Really?" she asked in surprise, not quite sure she'd heard him right.

"It's true. I've always seen some good in her," Rosabella confirmed. "Not as much as I see in you though…"

Raven smiled at the comment. As much as she was still adjusting to her newfound acceptance among her peers, little things like that continued to lift her spirits, reminding her just how far she'd come.

"Guys, it's Blondie!"

At Nina's shout, Dexter and Raven looked at each other in concern and raced over to the others, Rosabella and Briar close behind them.

" _\- reporting from the frontlines of the most spell-binding, dragon battle ever after._ " On screen, Blondie was clearly on dragonback, signature microphone in one hand while the other held a large metal pot over her head. " _Apple White is leading a team of students in a royal campaign to stop the Evil Queen, and send her back to the Mirror Realm. More to come, as the pages continue to turn, on this amazing story!_ "

No sooner than the words left her lips, magenta fire filled the screen. The young reporter winced under the immense heat and pressure, then sat back up and smiled as though nothing had happened.

"It doesn't look good out there…" Briar commented, sharing a worried look with her cousin.

Raven backed away from the group, fear coursing through her body. There was no doubt her mother would be hunting to kill – ' _a right of vengeance_ ', the Evil Queen might call it – and no one but her had tangled with dark magic like that.

"Hang in there, Apple. I'm coming." Turning on her heel, she rushed over to Nevermore, only to be stopped by someone grabbing her hand.

"Raven, wait!"

The young sorceress sighed, giving her boyfriend's hand a gentle squeeze before climbing on her dragon's back, "Dexter, I know you want to protect me, but that's _our_ friends and _my_ mother out there. I have to help them."

"I know that," he stated simply, making no effort to stop her. "That's why I'm coming with you."

Raven could've sworn she felt her heart swell in her chest. In all the time she'd known him, she'd never understood why he tried so hard to be like his brother. He may not have the perfect footing, perfect words or perfect vision, but he truly was a hero in his own right, and she wouldn't have him any other way.

"Can you fly a dragon?" she asked, patting the base of Nevermore's neck.

"Uh…" Dexter shrugged with one shoulder, then offered her a shy smile. "I'm a fast learner…"

Raven took his hand in hers, and pulled him up to sit in front of her. Dexter took the reins, blushing a little as she wrapped her arms around his waist, then glanced at her over his shoulder, "Ready?"

Her raspberry lips curved into a smile; that beautiful, confident smile he'd love until the end of once upon a time.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Back at Ever After, Blondie definitely wasn't lying about this being a 'spell-binding, dragon battle'; in fact, if anything, she had _under_ -sold it. Coloured blasts of white, orange and magenta flashed across the skies, accompanied by the tremendous roars of the dragons that fired them. Whether it be on their dying devices, or from the cracked walls and broken windows of the school, the students watched on at the war playing out before them.

As hexpected, the Evil Queen was quick to go after Faybelle, sending a raging fireball her former minion's way. But the young fairy was far too quick, and darted away from Braebyrn with moments to spare, Poppy and Cedar grabbing her as Brushfire dashed past.

A snarl rattled through her gritted teeth as the dragon vanished from sight, before she turned her attention and vengeance back to a far sweeter prize. Pressing Jinx onwards, she flew straight past Apple, daring her to follow.

Apple held up the booking glass, ready to seize the opportunity, only to realise she was out of range. Distracted by the magic mirror in her hand, she failed to notice the lone dark dragon that burst through the clouds behind her, who was now watching her every move.

Spotting the imposing dragon, Ashlynn swooped between them and called back to her riding partner, "Maddie, use the fire extinguisher!"

Gasping in hexcitement, Maddie pulled the extinguisher out of her purse, turning to face the dragon. Eyes narrow, the dark dragon prepared to shoot, but rather than dousing the growing flame, Maddie simple threw the entire thing at its head, cheerfully waving to the stunned, dopey hexpression on the dragon's face as it disappeared into the clouds below.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but it works," Ashlynn teased, Maddie laughing in response.

Apple simply smiled over her shoulder, making a mental note to thank them later, then chased after the Evil Queen as she made a break for the school. The two dragons circled the tallest tower right to the top, until the Evil Queen disappeared into the vast, dark cloudbank.

Bringing Braebyrn to a stop, Apple scanned the sky around her, but failed to see the dark dragon that burst from the clouds behind her. Finally spotting the dragon as it charged towards her, she desperately held up the booking glass.

"Capture the Evil-" She hurried through the command as quickly as possible, but the sorceress snatched it from her fingers before she could finish. "No!"

The sky echoed with wicked laughter, and the Evil Queen turned her dragon so she could face Apple.

"Now I'm going to let all your friends see what it's like to spend 100 years in the Mirror Realm, starting with _you!_ " With that, she held up the booking glass, grinning as it glowed a threatening green. "Capture Ap-"

Before she could finish, the booking glass was knocked from her hand by a blast of magic, like purple lightning from the clouds around them. Ignoring the villainess's scowl, Apple beamed as Nevermore burst through the clouds, Dexter and Raven on her back, flying together as one.

One hand tightly grasping her boyfriend's collar, Raven easily caught the booking glass, then tossed it back to Apple before facing her mother.

"Raven, you… You're awake…" she breathed in disbelief, her voice laced with the faintest trace of hopeful joy.

Dexter scoffed in a rare moment of pure judgement, "Yeah, no thanks to you."

Raven gently squeezed his shoulder; as much as she loved his ability to always see the best in others, she completely understood where he was coming from. Accident or not, she knew it would take time to move past the horrors of her enchanted sleep, and repair the fractured bond she shared with her mother. Right now, however, they had more important matters to address. "It's over, Mum. We're taking back the school!"

Judging by her sudden change in tactics, the Evil Queen had clearly figured out she was fighting a losing battle, "You might want to think about what you're doing, Apple. You're throwing away your destiny!"

"Don't listen to her Apple!" Raven interjected, calling out over the loud wingbeats of their dragons.

Apple didn't respond; she didn't need to, and Dexter knew why. Done were the days that she bowed to conformity. Never after would she burden others to secure her own future. And even now, as the Evil Queen continued to blackmail her, no longer would she be the spoilt, destiny-driven princess she'd found herself to be. If Raven had taught her anything, it was that a happy ending is something to earn – something to work for – and she'd forever after treasure that lesson.

"- Face it, you don't have a choice."

"Yes- I- _**do!**_ We _all_ have a choice, and I'll find my 'happily ever after' some _other_ way. Without _you_!" Her blue eyes narrowed in defiance, Apple held up the booking glass, voice crisp and bold as she stated the command, "Capture Evil Queen."

" _ **NO!**_ " Green light shot from the booking glass, the Evil Queen quick to conjure a shield spell as it charged towards her. "I'm _not_ going _**back!**_ "

Mustering the true depths of her power, she pushed against the opposing beam, a menacing chuckle rumbling in her throat, "I told you; I'm more _powerful_ than _**you!**_ "

"Apple!"

"She's weakening the booking glass!" Apple called back to her roommate, her body straining to control the artefact as it crackled in her hands, like a dragon's egg on the verge of hexplosion.

Raven pushed herself to her feet, then leapt from Nevermore's back to Braebyrn's, landing safely behind Apple. "Dexter, get out of here!"

"Rae-"

"Trust me!" Raven pleaded, flames of lilac magic dancing around her hands and on her long eyelashes.

It felt wrong to just leave her there, but as much as he longed to protect her, he also knew she could protect herself. Nodding in agreement, he tugged on Nevermore's reins, quickly steering her away.

Once she was certain he was out of harms' way, Raven placed her hands on Apple's shoulders, channelling her magic along her friend's arms and into the booking glass. The mirror's thinning green aura disappeared, replaced with a strong beam of brilliant violet. Buckling under the immense pressure, the Evil Queen lost her advantage and was sucked into the booking glass with enough force to all-but knock Braebyrn out of the sky, her riders each tumbling from her back with a frightening scream.

The dragon shook her mighty head to steady the skies around her, then dove straight for the girls, easily catching her rider. Apple grabbed Raven's hand tightly in her own, oblivious to Braebyrn's frantic attempts to balance the uneven weight over her wings; a struggle that didn't go unnoticed by Raven.

"She can't hold us both!"

"Yes- she- _can!_ " Apple cried in defiance, each word strained as she desperately tried to pull Raven up.

In spite of who they were, and the roles they were 'meant' to play in each other's lives, she would readily trust Apple with her life in a heartbeat. But one look at the exhaust dragon was enough to tell her her best friend forever after was wrong, and it was senseless for them both to pay the price. Squeezing her eyes shut in terror, Raven teleported out from Apple's grasp, and allowed herself to plummet to the ground below.

" **RAVEN!** "

Raven's eyes opened out of impulse, and she failed to contain the scream that broke from her lungs. Perhaps if she focused hard enough, she _may_ have been able to cast a spell strong enough to save herself, but with the wind howling in her ears, she could barely summon a mere wisp. For one brief moment, she could swear she saw a pair of dark purple wings slicing through the clouds, before finding herself safe and sound in someone's arms.

"Whoa! Easy girl." One arm wrapped tightly around her waist, Dexter pulled on the reins with his free hand, bringing Nevermore to a stop. Once he was certain she could hover comfortable on her own, he held his beloved close to his chest, "It's okay, Rae. I've got you…"

Raven took a moment to steady her breathing, then offered him a playful smirk, "Nice catch."

Dexter blushed in response, and instinctively reached to rub the back of his neck. "I have my moments…"

Neither needed to say anything more. Simply holding each other close, they watched the booking glass fall from view, the Evil Queen's echoing cry fading into the clouds. At long last, the mirror slammed into the cracked pavement surrounding the airborne school, shattering on impact. No sooner had it broken, rings of bright purple magic rippled from the pieces, casting a pale glow on the clearing smoke around them.

The steady, rhythmic beating of dragon wings lifted the young couple from their thoughts, and they turned to see Apple fly up beside them on Braebyrn, hovering in the shared airspace. As one might not hexpect, no words were hexchanged between them; only soft smiles that spoke volumes on their own. At that moment, in a tremendous burst of light magic, Jillian's beanstalk disintegrated into thin air, and they watched on as their beloved school began to descend back to the kingdom floor. Many students stumbled or tripped on the quaking ground, but soon enough, the hexposed pipes and roots beneath them knitted back to the severed ones below, one final ripple of magic transforming the dark fortress into the safe haven they knew and loved.

Raven smiled proudly at the castle below them, leaning back into the warmth of Dexter's arms. The building that remained was a far cry from its usual pristine glory, littered with scorch marks and gaping holes that would take weeks to repair. But in spite of the collateral damage sustained in recent hours, it had triumphed, and survived the bitter turmoil. There was still much work to be done, but – much like her own story – things could only get better from here.

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 ***flops back in chair* Ok, I** _ **severely**_ **underestimated how difficult this chapter would be to write. But, all-in-all, I'm happy with the end result. (: As always, I can't wait to hear your thoughts, and since I don't know when the next update will be, Merry Christmas to you all! :D**

 **Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a birthday fic I** _ **desperately**_ **need to work on. XD See you over the page! (:**


	9. You and Me, As One

**Hey fairytales, I'm back with Chapter 8; my first update of 2018. :D**

 **I apologise if this chapter isn't up to my usual standards, and that it's taken me so long to write it. Mum's condition has just plummeted since Christmas; so much so that Dad and I can no longer care for her. We always knew it was going to happen, but the time has come for her to go into full-time care (not that she knows that yet). She's** _ **probably**_ **going to hate us, but we have no other choice, and it really is what's best for everyone. But yes, between exhaustion, stress and 'fed up'-ness in general, I've barely been able to write, well,** _ **anything**_ **…**

 **Thankfully though, this is a relatively straight-forward chapter. It's mostly just to fill the gap between last and next chapter, but there are a few important things I wanted to include. But I won't keep you any longer. Hope you like it. (:**

 **FireRuby: A lot of people keep saying this is better than the original. I'm not sure if that's true, but I really appreciate it. :)  
RavenJoker: Aww, I'm glad to hear it! :D  
MusicGirl456: Thank you so much. (: Unfortunately Mum's still getting worse, but I appreciate the thought.  
fringeperson: *curtsies* Thank you, my friend. :) Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!  
moonlightdreamer1: Indeed. XD  
HunterHero416: I know! It would've been so cute. And they could've at least put a couple Dexven moments in Epic Winter. :*(  
obsessive360: Thank you! :)  
Roxy190: Thank you so much! (: I'm really glad you're enjoying it.  
ChimaTigon: You'll have to wait until Chapter 9 for that. ;)  
Trekrider: Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. ;p  
MrAndersIversen: As always, thank you for reading Anders. (:  
nebula-twice-kill: Glad to hear you're enjoying it. :)  
chica-flick: That's good, because the wait is over. :D  
The Byzantine Knight: Thank you so much for both your reviews. (: I did want to play up Rosabella's role because 1) I like her and Darabella, and 2) she plays an important role in Epic Winter. And yes, it's amazing how much Dexter can do when he's given the opportunity. (** _ **I'm looking at you Mattel…**_ **) As for your suggestion, you make a very good point. I probably won't do it in this fic as I already have a clear idea of what I'm doing for the finale, but I'll definitely consider it for… future works. ;)**

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 8 ~ You and Me, As One**

By the time Raven, Dexter and Apple's feet touched the pavement, the rest of their brigade had already landed, and were celebrating amongst themselves. One powerful princess in particular, upon spotting her brother (and quite probably future sister-in-law), rushed over to greet them.

"We did it!" Darling beamed, giving Raven a hug before turning to her twin.

"Is everyone ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Daring assured her. "I've already sent Legend back to the clearing for the rest of the girls."

"Good." Raven couldn't quite read the look in the prince's eyes, but his smile – this rare sincere smile that only showed itself under the most special circumstances – was all she needed to know that he was genuinely happy for her.

"I'm proud of you Raisin…"

Raven laughed at the nickname, reaching up to give him a hug, "Thanks Daring…"

At that moment, the school's battered doors burst open as a number of previously imprisoned students rushed towards them, including Ginger, Humphrey, and the rest of the school's Wonderlandian students.

"Raven! You're alive! And you're here!" Ginger hugged her tightly, closely followed by Humphrey.

"But how?"

"The way _any_ sleeping curse is broken," Raven responded, not caring if she sounded completely cheesy. "Dex woke me."

"Wait a spell… So if it was Dexter that woke you-"

"Then you two really _are_ meant to be together!" Bunny beamed, Alistair's hand grasped tightly in her own as she finished his sentence.

"Well, duh…" Kitty crossed her arms loosely, wearing her signature mischievous grin, "I always knew they'd be purr-fect together."

While the others giggled at the statement, Dexter and Raven could only blush and share a shy smile, until they were interrupted by a series of roars. From the surrounding skies, the dark dragons descended, landing among them and their own lighter – both in heart and in colouration – dragons. Many students screamed or backed away in fear, yet surprisingly, the creatures made no move to attack. One dragon in particular landed just a few short paces in front of Raven, her proud head barely hovering above the ground as she cautiously approached.

Faybelle nudged Raven's arm, motioning towards the skittish animal, "That's your mother's dragon, Jinx."

Raven turned back to the dragon, before slowly taking a step towards her, "Hey girl… It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you…"

Jinx eyed her for a moment, unsure what to make of this unfamiliar compassion, before leaning into the girl's outstretched hands. The rest of the students kept their distance, still wary of the imposing creatures, until another, much larger shadow passed overhead. Slow and steady, Legend lowered herself to the kingdom floor, then stretched out a mighty wing for her passengers to slide down.

"Uh, what happened to the dark dragons?" Briar asked as she, her cousin and the others walked over the rest of their group, Nina adding, "I know; they're completely tame now."

"That doesn't make any sense," Poppy argued, putting a hand on her hip. "I mean, they were _literally_ evil at birth…"

"Of course…" Raven muttered, mostly to herself but loud enough for the others to hear. "Mum was in the stables with us when the eggs hatched. _She_ must have amplified my spell to try and turn them all evil."

"Oh, you poor things…" Without the slightest trace of fear, Rosabella approached one of the dark dragons and gently pet his neck. The creature eagerly bent his mighty head down for a cuddle, giving her a joyful squawk.

Apple smiled a little as she relaxed, "At least she's back in the Mirror Realm. She can't hurt _anyone_ from in there."

A wave of guilt washed over the young sorceress, and she found herself rubbing her arm as she turned to her roommate, "Apple… You apologised to me, but I never got a chance to apologise to _you_."

"Apologise?" the blonde's nose scrunched in confusion. "For what?"

"For everything… _I_ brought all this evil to Ever After High. As soon as I realised I didn't want to play my part, I should've run far away. If I had, none of this would have happened…"

Apple's face was unreadable, a brief silence filling the air between them. "You're right. None of this _would_ have happened…"

Raven winced at the bluntness of her words, until Apple took her restless hands. Looking up, she saw nothing but gratitude in her roommate's eyes, and watched as her coral pink lips tugged into a smile.

"We never would've found out the Storybook of Legends was a fake, never would've found the _real_ one, or saved Wonderland. Everyone would still be forced to live their pre-written destinies, and most of all… _I_ would never have realised I don't _need_ my destiny to be happy."

"And now I've got my _own_ destiny figured out, maybe I can start helping other people with theirs…" Raven smiled back, glad beyond words that she and Apple were finally back on the same page.

"I think that sounds fableous."

With that, Apple pulled Raven in for hug, quietly thanking her lucky stars that she had her best friend forever after back – ' _the yin to her yang_ ' as Maddie once put it. Like Elphaba come to Glinda; complete opposites – neither perfectly ' _good_ ' in their own right – that somehow blended like night and day into one beautiful sunrise; a glorious new beginning…

"As do I..." a tender voice agreed, approaching them from behind.

Apple turned, then smiled as she rushed to the woman, "Mum!"

Snow White welcomed her daughter with open arms – quietly grateful to be back in her _human_ form – and hugged her tightly in relief, "Oh Apple… Thank goodness you're alright…"

"I'm so sorry Mum. I should've told you about the Evil Queen. Or better yet, I shouldn't have let her get under my skin in the first place."

"No Apple-butter, _I'm_ the one who's sorry." The queen took a step back to meet her daughter's eye, lightly placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, "I put so much pressure on you to be the perfect queen everyone believes _me_ to be. I never should have hexpected you to live up to my image, especially when I _myself_ fall short…"

Apple smiled a little at her words. Her whole life, she'd always strived to match her mother's hexample, falling into a state of panic when that didn't seem to be happening. To hear her mother – the fairest of them all – admit that even _she_ wasn't perfect, was like having a dragon lifted from her shoulders. "All I've ever wanted is to make you proud…"

"You already do, and you are going to make a _wonderful_ queen someday," Snow assured her, raising a hand to cup her daughter's cheek, before she turned to also smile at Raven. "You both are…"

Raven smiled back in silent thanks. She had a lot to learn – for obvious reasons – but she'd never been one to back down from a challenge.

"Anyway, I'd better head back to the castle. I have a _lot_ of catching up to do…" Snow hexplained, unable to help a chuckle at her own… um, _incompetence_ …

Apple laughed too, and gave Braebyrn's neck a pat, "Want us to give you a lift?"

"It's alright, my little dove. My driver's already on his way; he'll be here any moment."

As if on que, a limo appeared in the distance; long and sleek and fit for a queen. But in spite of its royal furnishing and flawless polish, something was quite evidently amiss. Apple's brow furrowed in confusion, eyeing the vehicle's dark paint, unable to tell at this distance if it was dark violet or simply black. "I thought all of our cars are white…"

"They are…" Snow replied, just as puzzled as her daughter.

The rest of the students followed their ruler's gaze, until Cedar's eyes widened in hexcitement, "Wait a splinter, isn't that-"

The car came to a stop at the end of the driveway, and a middle-aged man climbed out the back, his face etched with worry, his regal attire stained with tears, and his crown absent from his head of thinning hair.

"Dad!" Stepping away from her boyfriend, Raven hurried to the man's side, surprisingly agile in her Dragon Games attire.

"Raven!" Bright blue eyes filled with relief, the Good King caught his daughter as she jumped into his arms, ignoring the pain in his aging bones as he held her close, a fresh wave of tears rolling down his cheeks, "Oh, my sweet princess… I thought I'd never see you again…"

"I can't believe you're here."

"I came as soon as I heard." The king put her back on her feet, then gently cupped her chin between his thumb, index and middle fingers, "Oh Raven, I should have _been_ here…"

Raven held his wrist in her hands, leaning into his touch, "Dad, there's nothing you could've done if you _were_ here. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Of course I worry. You're my little girl…" he replied as he hugged her. "Though I suppose you're not _mine_ anymore…"

Raven pulled back a bit, an eyebrow raised at his words, "What do you mean?"

"Raven, you and I know that curse better than anyone," he reminded her, then shrugged a shoulder as he gave her a soft, bittersweet smile. "So… Do you know him?"

The young sorceress couldn't help but blush, her lips curved into a gentle smile. Unlike her mother, she never felt a need to hide anything from her father, and could comfortably talk to him about almost anything. Yet in all that time, she couldn't recall the subject of 'boys' ever coming up. It was a lot less straight-forward than she'd hexpected, but at the same time, there was no one else in the fairytale world she'd rather be introducing her dad to.

"You will…" Taking his arm, Raven led him to where the rest of her friends were waiting, one _special_ friend in particular. "Dexter, this is my father. Dad, this is Dexter…"

The Good King allowed himself a _fraction_ of a second to size the boy up, then gave him a grateful bow, "Thank you, Dexter, for saving my daughter."

"You're welcome. Not that Raven _needs_ saving very much…" Dexter smiled fondly at the girl beside, gently taking her hand.

The aging king couldn't help but chuckle, "Indeed she doesn't. But I'm glad to know she's in safe hands when she _does_."

"Don't worry Dad, I am…" Raven assured him as she rested her head on Dexter's shoulder, pretending not to notice the sudden blush that appeared on her prince's face.

The Good King gave the young couple a respectful nod, pleased beyond words with Fate's choice of suitor for his dear princess, before he turned to observe the ravaged school. A low whistle passed between his lips, "She really went all-out this time, didn't she?"

Snow hummed in agreement, also looking the building over, "Definitely… It'll take _weeks_ to repair all this…"

"If I may, your Majesties," Sleeping Beauty's daughter interjected, politely enough but without giving either a chance to object. "There'll be time for that. The Evil Queen's gone, and we have Raven back; if that doesn't call for a party, nothing does."

"Well you do throw the 'most hexcellent parties'," Raven teased, nudging her friend's arm.

Briar simply tipped her sunglasses, more than happy to admit it, "You'd better believe it."

The rest of their friends laughed at the comment, until someone else responded with her own suggestion, "And in the meantime, maybe you'd be up for another round of Dragons Games?"

The young sorceress shared a playfully sarcastic look with her boyfriend's sister, before the pair smirked at the blonde.

"Hah… Don't worry; I promise I'll play by the rules this time…" Apple's voice trailed off as she sheepishly rubbed her arm, earning a smile from her best friend forever after as her pale cheeks flushed a tender pink.

"That all sounds great, you guys. But first…" Raven turned, her gaze focused but uncertain as she looked towards the school's tallest tower. "There's something I need to take care of…"

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Well everyone, we're in the final stretch; just one more chapter left to go. I'll be sad to see the end of this fic, but I think you'll like how it ends. And the good news is, Chapter 9's already halfway finished, so you can hexpect an update pretty soon. (;**

 **Fun fact: the reason I made 'Raisin' Daring's nickname for Raven is because I accidently called her that by mistake once. XD I was rambling my thought process to myself (as I often do), called her Raisin by accident, and thought "ok, that's just too good** _ **not**_ **to use". ;p**

 **Until next time, be sure to share your thoughts in the reviews. I always enjoy reading them. Oh, and Happy True Hearts Day for tomorrow! See you over the page! (:**


	10. End of the Chapter, But Not the Story

**Here we are Royals and Rebels; the final chapter! :D This started out a small-scale fic I didn't think would go very far, but today – with over 19'000 views – it's now the 4th most followed and three-way-tied for 5th most favourited story of the** _ **entire**_ **EAH Archive, and one of my own most popular fics. Thank you all for your support and encouragement throughout this story, especially considering all the hardship I've faced behind the keyboard. I could never have made it this far without you. And now, without further ado, on to the chapter! ;)**

 **fringeperson: The Good King needs more love; he's awesome. ;) Thanks for the review!  
MusicGirl456: Thank you, I truly appreciate it. (:  
FireRuby: I know. I can't even remember the last time I saw the Good King in a fic. It's a shame people don't write him more, especially since he and Raven are so close. Anyway, hope you enjoy the final chapter. :)  
The Byzantine Knight: Thank you so much. Long reviews are definitely my favourites. :D Glad you enjoyed having a more relaxed chapter. I did enjoy writing it.  
moonlightdreamer1: Me too; Dexven is best. ;) Thanks for reading.  
Trekrider: Thank you so much. (:  
HunterHero416: Yeah, I'm afraid so; here's to hoping it's a good one. I'm truly honoured to have received such high praise for this fic. The response has been astounding and it makes me so happy. :D Thank you for sticking around.**

 _ **PLEASE NOTE: It's been brought to my attention that some people didn't receive an email when I uploaded the previous chapter. Be sure to double check that you have indeed read Chapter 8 before reading this one. :)**_

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Chapter 9 ~ End of the Chapter, But Not the Story**

The walk to Headmaster Grimm's office was a quiet one, consumed mostly with observing the hextensive damage that littered the hallways. The mere sight of it was proof in spades that her mother was indeed a force to be reckoned with; so much so that Raven could only imagine how long it would take to restore Ever After High to its former glory.

Yet somehow, in spite of everything _on top_ of her near demise, the blooms of change had already begun to emerge from the ashes left in the Evil Queen's wake. Students smiled and waved to her as she passed them in the halls, pausing in their own conversations to wish her good health. The young sorceress felt her cheeks flush at the sudden attention, but couldn't help but smile regardless. ' _Funny how Fate works sometimes…_ '

Finally reaching her destination, Raven opened the large oak door. Headmaster Grimm sat at his desk, engrossed in various piles of paperwork. Every so often, he'd hold up a single sheet of paper, compare it with the others, then set it down and scribble a note in the margin, his eyebrows knitted together. ' _Because of Mum I'll bet…_ '

Raven waited a moment more, then sauntered into the room, "Headmaster?"

Milton Grimm straightened at his desk, his fitful eyes never quite meeting hers. "Miss Queen…"

There was so much he wanted to say; so many mistakes he had yet to make right. He sat there for a moment, lips slightly parted, but the fragments of words caught on his tongue. The headmaster eventually cleared his throat, settling with a simple, "What can I do for you?"

Raven stood in front of his desk, fiddling with the edge of her nails, "I know it's not Visiting Day, but would it be ok if I checked on Mum? Just so she knows I'm ok after the whole… ugh, _apple_ thing…"

"Y-yes, certainly." Still slightly shaken, Milton took a clipboard out of his desk, then held it up for her to sign the familiar form. "Need I remind you, do _not_ touch the glass."

Raven put the pen down, rolling her eyes in amusement, "Oh please."

The headmaster pushed the button under his desk, and she began the familiar trek up the school's tallest tower, comforted at least by the glass shield that restrained her mother. However, no sooner did she step away from the stairwell, her mother's beaming face appeared in the mirror.

"There's my little blackbird!"

Raven was – to say the least – taken aback by the greeting; a greeting _far far_ too cheerful for someone who'd just been put back into the near-impenetrable prison that was the Mirror Realm.

"Hey Mum."

"Oh, how beautiful!" the Evil Queen gushed, eyes shining with pride. "Not even a poison apple can keep a _Queen_ down for long."

Raven shifted uncomfortably, but not from embarrassment. As much as she'd rather avoid mirrors than gaze at them, she wasn't _against_ being called 'beautiful'. Her father had done so her entire life, and she wasn't a stranger to her friends complimenting her wicked style. Though they were few and far between, there were times before they started dating when even Dexter had worked up the courage to tell her as well, and each time had her smiling for hours. Coming from her mother, however, it was completely different. Unlike her father, her friends and her boyfriend, her mother didn't simply say she was beautiful. She said she was beautiful, _then_ followed it up by mocking others – especially Apple – or trying to prompt her down the path of her destiny. Given the choice, she'd rather neither…

Hesitant to respond, she decided to change the subject. "Are you… ok in there?"

"Oh, it's not so bad, I suppose," her mother admitted, before adding enthusiastically, "Somebody left a sandwich in here."

Raven could only blink, baffled to see her mother – her _evil, conniving_ mother – get so excited about a discarded sandwich. Her enduring sanity was truly a testament to her brilliant, albeit scheming, mind.

The Evil Queen's face softened, her voice suddenly tender, "I'm… royally proud of you, Raven."

Something about those words caught Raven off-guard, a hopeful smile tugging at her lips, "Seriously? After all that?"

"You demonstrated that your powers are even _stronger_ than before." Her mother's eyes seemed unusually bright, her excitement growing with every word, "Why, I didn't even know it was _possible_ to break your _own_ sleeping curse!"

And just like that, her face fell in dread. No wonder her mother was taking everything so well; she was utterly _clueless_. Raven vaguely heard her mother's voice as she continued – likely praising her 'natural talent' for trickery and deceit – but she had long since stopped listening. If she knew nothing about the kiss, then she knew nothing of Dexter. Suddenly the mirror's thick glass window was less of a comfort than it had been mere moments ago. In time, she _would_ learn the truth one way or another, and when she did…

"– You're more like me than you realise. Like it or not, you can't escape your destiny."

"We'll see… I have to go, Mum. I'll visit you soon."

With that, the young sorceress turned and walked away, but her mother's voice was quick to follow.

"I love you, Raven. Now go show them what an evil queen can do."

Raven stopped in her tracks, taking a moment to process her words. It was a bittersweet goodbye; a promise of love, tarnished by the same disregard that had been straining their relationship for years. She wanted to tell her about the match, but something held her back. Perhaps it was the knowledge that Dexter was there, or maybe the _slightest_ bit of resentment at her inadvertent poisoning… Whatever it was, she needed time to heal. She was, as always, open to the idea of a relationship with her mother, but she wasn't waiting with open arms. ' _Only time will tell…_ '

"I love you too…" She finally replied, before disappearing into the shadowed stairwell.

* * *

Raven all-but counted her footsteps as she made her way down to the Dragon Games arena, briefly noting how each stair had been so perfectly carved from the cliff-side. The sound of her mother's voice seemed to echo in her mind, each word blurred into the next in one infernal tone. _'You broke your own sleeping curse!'_ Those hadn't been her exact words, but the implications were there; implications that churned and knotted in her stomach, ached in her chest, and drew a thin layer of sweat to her palms.

A sudden rumble of thunderous applause shocked her from her thoughts. The crowd had noticed her arrival even before she did, and were even quicker to welcome her. Restless dragons lined the centre of the field – a single spot left vacant for Nevermore – and chirped in excitement as they waited for the final rider. Apple smiled warmly at her, holding Braebyrn at the ready. And just above her, in the centre of the stadium platform that linked the field to the grandstands, Dexter was down on one knee, tending to a certain purple, Labrador-sized dragon.

Raven released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, her shoulders suddenly looser than they had been mere moments before. Waving to the others as she passed them, she walked across the field and up to the grandstands, her lips tugging into a smile when she saw what her dragon was eating.

"Fire apples, huh?"

Dexter blushed a little, "I remember you saying they're her favourite. Did everything go ok with your mum?"

"Uh, yeah… Yeah, she's fine… _I'm_ fine…"

The prince's eyebrow instantly arched, his eyes deep and focused. For a moment, he simply watched her, then stood up and took her hands in his. "Come on, Rae… You know I know you better than that…"

Raven sighed, not quite meeting his gaze, "Mum doesn't know about our kiss. She thinks I woke _myself_ up with my magic."

"Ah... I take it she isn't going to be too happy when she finds out the truth…"

"Yeah…"

"Hey…" Dexter tilted her chin up, and looked her in the eyes with an intensity that threatened to melt her like a fire in the Snow Queen's castle, "We'll get through it. We've made it this far, haven't we?"

Raven chuckled, giving his hands a gentle squeeze, "Yeah, I guess we have…"

Dexter smiled back, and pressed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Come on; everyone's waiting."

Letting go of his hands, Raven walked over to her dragon. "Ready girl?"

Nevermore answered by bounding round in circles, then transformed to her full dragon size, leaving her rider to laugh at her antics as she climbed onto her scaled back.

Dexter chuckled as well, before handing the reigns up to his sweetheart, "Ok, is that everything?"

Raven smirked – that playful, tell-tale smirk that never failed to steal his breath. "Hm, _almost_ everything…"

"Huh? Wha- Whoa!"

With no further warning, the young sorceress levitated him to meet her eyes, her hands glowing a pale lavender as he hovered in mid-air.

Dexter opened his mouth to speak, only to be met with her amethyst eyes and softened smile. Her hold on her spell never wavering, she reached out to grab his scarf and pulled him to her lips. A collective mixture of 'ooh's and 'aww's rippled across the grandstands, yet the noise was muffled by the pounding in his chest. He floated there for a moment, frozen in time and space, then softly deepened the kiss, briefly forgetting about their several-hundred-strong audience. How he'd changed these past few hours…

Her aching lungs pleading for air, Raven reluctantly pulled back, then carefully lowered him onto his feet. Dexter took a step back as his feet touched the ground, his smile a mixture of love and pride. "Go get 'em."

The young Queen smiled back at her boyfriend, then flew her dragon onto the field beside the rest of her team, coming face-to-face with a certain beaming opponent.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Apple teased. "Let's do this."

Raven grinned in response, a newfound fire in her eyes as she got into position, "Ready when you are."

The other riders followed suit, urging their colourful steeds to the air. One by one, the dragons left the ground. The sound of a whistle echoed across the stadium, and the ball pierced through the air mere moments behind it. Raven tugged on Nevermore's reigns, closely followed by Apple, then caught the ball with ease as it began its decent.

Back on the ground, Dexter watched from the stands, his lips curved into a soft smile as he whispered affectionately to his one true love. "That's my girl…"

His words never reached her ear, but somehow she could almost sense them. Raven spared a quick glance at her roommate, the ball still firmly clasped in her hands, and almost laughed at the simple irony. Somehow, by some ludicrous twist of fate, the poisoned apple that had haunted her darkest dreams had granted every wish from her lightest ones. The light and dark had finally unified, and as she and Apple flew into the sunlight, a brilliant new chapter in her story began.

From the reserves' bench, Maddie spat out her drink in a dramatised fashion, and gave a pointed glare upwards. Wait, upwards? _Oh dear…_

"You're ending it _there_?!"

 _*groans* Madeline Xylophone Hatter, you_ _ **know**_ _you're not supposed to talk to the narrator._

"Hey! I've been good as golden geese up until now! Faybelle poisoned my best friend and I said _nothing_."

 _You were half asleep. You didn't even know it was happening._

"That's not the point!"

 _*sighs* Honestly Maddie, can you_ _ **really**_ _not wait until the sequel?_

"No!"

 _*chuckles* Well friends, the Hatter has spoken. Looks like we've got a party to go to. ;)_

 **.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

 **Ok, so I guess this** _ **isn't**_ **going to be the last chapter. Thank you Maddie… XD**

 **I won't make any promises as to when the epilogue will be up, especially since we're still waiting on a place for Mum. Considering it'll be based entirely on my own imagination, it may take longer to write than the last 9 chapters. But, then again, not having a set framework I need to be mindful of might make it easier to piece it all together. Either way, the epilogue will be up eventually. ;p**

 **I have a few things planned, but right now I'm still brainstorming. Is there anything in particular you guys would like to see? Certain characters, interactions? Or perhaps a little foreshadowing for the upcoming sequel? (; Be sure to let me know in the reviews.**

 **That's all for now… As always, see you over the page! :)**


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